SCOUTING IN THE ELEPHANT FOREST 



a thorough investigation of the forests and a raid 

 in the dry hills of the west after kudu. Mavrouki 

 said he knew of a place where that animal ranged. 

 So we had come to a decision. 



We called the Masai and Wanderobo before us. 

 They squatted in a row, their spears planted before 

 them. We sat in canvas chairs. Leyeye, standing, 

 translated. The affair was naturally of the great- 

 est deliberation. In the indirect African manner we 

 began our shauri. 



We asked one simple question at a time, dealing 

 with one simple phase of the subject. This phase 

 we treated from several different points of view, in 

 order to be absolutely certain that it was understood. 

 To these questions we received replies in this 

 manner: 



Yes, the Wanderobo told us, they knew the forest; 

 they knew how to go about in the forest; they 

 understood how to find their way in the forest. 

 They knew the elephant; they had seen the elephant 

 many times in the forest; they knew where the 

 elephant ranged in the forest and so on through 

 every piece of information we desired. It is the 

 usual and only sure way of questioning natives. 



Thus we learned that the elephant range extended 

 south through the forests for about seven days' 

 travel; that at this time of year the beasts might be 



