In Wildest Africa -* 



descriptions given by the first travellers over the velt 

 regions ot Cape Colon}'. 



llo\v did all this accord with the reports I had received 

 of the scarcity of elephants ? with the destruction of the 

 buffalo by the cattle plague ? with my own previous 

 experiences? The most authoritative of my informants 

 had assured me that in this district the elephant was to 

 be found very rarely, the buffalo hardly ever ! 



Suddenly with mysterious swiftness the night is gone, 

 and the day breaks. I search for and find the tracks of 

 my giant guests of the night. I had made no mistake. 

 Monstrous footprints are sharply impressed in the mud, 

 the ground looks as if it had been ploughed up, and in 

 the midst of the plain, not very far from the lake, there are 

 actually hundreds of mighty elephants standing near some 

 ol-girigiri acacias. As 1 begin to watch them, they 

 suddenly become restless. In their noiseless way they 

 make oft at an extremely quick rate, and soon disappear 

 behind the nearest ridge. 



Round about me I see herds of zebras, hartebeests, and 

 wild animals of all kinds in vaster numbers even than those 

 of yesterday. The deep bellow of the wild buffalo breaks 

 upon my ear. I can see long-necked towering giraffes in 

 the acacia thickets. The snorting of numerous hippo- 

 potami sounds from the lake. Some of these burly fellows 

 are sunning themselves on its margin ; and quite close to 

 them several rhinoceroses are grazing peacefully in the 

 midst of their uncouth cousins. 



I am surprised, too, at seeing a troop of lions disappear- 

 ing into the bush, alter having made, a visit to the water. 



62 



