174 STALKS ABROAD 



though curiously enough it is the skull alone which 

 one comes across, lying beside the edge of the path 

 or mouldering in quiet obscurity beneath some bush. 



The chiefs were very friendly and usually brought 

 us in some milk, green bananas which were delicious, 

 a sheep or some such present, and received Amerikani, 

 a kind of cloth, in return. The country itself never 

 varied in character, and grew decidedly monotonous 

 after a time, particularly as there was no game to 

 be seen save a couple of small buck, which jumped 

 out of a shamba where they had been enjoying 

 an illicit feed. However, it gave us plenty of time 

 to shake down and get accustomed to our safari. 



I should like here to give a word of thanks to 

 Captain E-iddell, M.V.O., who fitted us out. No sports- 

 man going on a shooting trip in East Africa could 

 do better than place himself in his hands. He will 

 have the satisfaction of knowing that his safari has 

 been organised by one who has had great personal 

 experience in nearly every kind of sport, and at the 

 same time his monthly expenditure is limited to a 

 given figure. Thus he will be able to calculate within 

 a few pounds exactly what his expenses for the trip 

 will be, a great convenience. 



We had about sixty-five porters, who, gradually, 

 as we progressed in our march, collected nearly half 

 as many "gentlemen's gentlemen," to carry their 

 belongings. None of these latter were more than 

 fourteen or fifteen years old and some were mere 

 infants. They used to appear just before we broke 



