TO THE UASIN GISHU 359 



swamps, living among the reeds, were big handsome cuck- 

 oos, which ate mice. Our first camp was by a stream 

 bordered by trees like clove-trees; at evening multitudes 

 of yellow-billed pigeons flew up its course. They were 

 feeding on olives, and were good for the table; and so were 

 the yellow-billed mallards, which were found in the occa- 

 sional pools. Everything we shot at this time went into 

 the pot except a hyena. The stomachs of the reedbuck 

 and oribi contained nothing but grass; but the stomachs 

 of the duikers were filled with berries from a plant which 

 looked like the deadly nightshade. On the burned ground* 

 by the way, the oribi, which were very plentiful, behaved 

 precisely like tommies, except that they did not go in as 

 large troops; they made no effort to hide as they do in 

 thick grass; and as duikers, steinbucks, and reedbucks 

 always do. We saw, but could not get a shot at, one topi 

 with a white or blazed face, like a South African blesbok. 

 While beating one swamp a lion appeared for an instant 

 at its edge, a hundred and fifty yards off. I got a snap shot, 

 and ought to have hit him, but didn't. We tried our best 

 to get him out of the swamp, finally burning all of it that 

 was not too wet; but we never saw him again. 



We recrossed the high hill country, through mists and 

 driving rains, and were back at Londiani on the last day 

 of November. Here, with genuine regret, we said good- 

 bye to our safari; for we were about to leave East Africa, 

 and could only take a few of our personal attendants with 

 us into Uganda and the Nile Valley. I was really sorry to 

 see the last of the big, strong, good-natured porters. They 

 had been with us over seven months, and had always be- 

 haved well though this, of course, was mainly owing to 



