BRITISH EAST AFRICA 237 



hosts. It was one of the most delightful times of the 

 whole trip and I was very sorry to leave. 



A large number of Wa Kikuyu came in during our 

 stay in order to hold a shauri with Mr. Lane, the 

 Provincial Commissioner, whom, with Mrs. Lane, we 

 had afterwards to thank for much kind hospitality at 

 Fort Hall. I cannot speak with sufficient gratitude 

 of all the kindness we received from the various 

 officials we met during our stay in East Africa. They 

 one and all did everything in their power to make us 

 at home and to give us a good time. They certainly 

 succeeded, and though but "a ship which passed in 

 the night," I felt that I was leaving old friends and 

 parted from many with feelings of genuine regret. 



I was very keen to get a good bushbuck, and 

 though the Old Pioneer and his companions had al- 

 most entirely de-bushbucked the surrounding country, 

 the former gentleman put me on to a place where he 

 thought there might be a good head. I went there 

 early one morning, with no result. That evening we 

 went out together and sat down by the river to watch. 

 A river bank with open flats covered with long grass 

 and scattered bushes is an ideal place for these little 

 antelope. Bushbuck stalking is not unlike roe stalk- 

 ing. They favour the same type of country, and when 

 after them in the early mornings at Nyeri I used 

 to think of a certain hillside, purple with heather and 

 scattered with silver-stemmed birches, where I have 

 stalked many a roebuck. 



They are very retiring little animals, and only 



