-* Camping out on the Velt 



these hens. (Hardly any of the many beautiful East 

 African species of francolins have so far been brought 

 alive to Europe?.) Once I had for weeks the pleasure 

 of seeing some beautiful yellow-throated francolins 

 {Pternistes leucoscpns infuscatus, Cab.) running about 

 perfectly tame among the other animals in camp. 



I was often able to contemplate idyllic scenes among 

 my quaint collection of animals. The behaviour of my 

 baby rhinoceros interested me greatly. It was the pet 

 ot my caravan, and I was very proud of having reared 

 it, for I had longed for two years for such a little 

 creature, and had made many vain attempts to obtain 

 one. Its friendship with two goats I have already 

 mentioned in my previous book. They formed a strange 

 trio. Very often the kid used the rhinoceros as a cushion, 

 and all three were inseparable. The beast and the two 

 goats often made little excursions out into the immediate 

 neighbourhood of my camp. At these times they were 

 carefully guarded by two of my most trustworthy people. 

 The "rhino" was provided with its accustomed vegetable 

 foods. When the little beast was in a good humour it 

 would play with me like a dog, and would scamper about 

 in the camp snorting in its own peculiar way. Such 

 merrv games alternated with hours of anxietv, during 



* O J * 



which I was obliged to give mv foster-child food and 



O O ^ 



medicine with mv own hands, and to light the chigoes 



> O O 



(Sarcopsylla penetrans, L.), commonly called '"jiggers," those 

 horrible tormentors which Africa has received from 

 America. 



In the evening my tlocks and herds ot sheep, goats 



60; 



