AFRICAN BUFFALO 83 



saw six large herds, one of which had to be driven off to allow the 

 caravan to pass. 



" The banks of the Turkwel river, which rises in Mount Elgon and 

 flows east to Ngoboto, formed another stronghold, where buffalo con- 

 gregated in large herds ; while on the Mau plateau they were also 

 abundant, and might be seen in dense black masses on the open 

 grassy downs at all hours of the day. In fact they were so numerous 

 in many places that, like zebras and hartebeests, they often proved an 

 annoyance and hindrance to the sportsman after other and rarer game. 

 On the coast they were confined to the thick bush, and only came into 

 the open to feed late in the evening just before sunset, and returned 

 again at daybreak or shortly after, and it was no doubt owing to 

 constantly forcing their way through the bush, and also to the higher 

 temperature and moist atmosphere that they had a totally different 

 appearance from those found farther inland at higher and much colder 

 altitudes. The buffaloes of the coast were almost hairless and of a 

 dull lead-colour, whilst those in the Masai country were well covered 

 with hair, and quite black. 



" The buffaloes found on the Mau plateau, where it is much colder 

 than the Masai country, were still more thickly coated with black hair, 

 one old bull, killed at an elevation of 8000 feet, having large tufts on 

 its face almost as shaggy as in a wildebeest. In size they never varied 

 in different localities ; an average bull standing 5 feet at the shoulder, 

 and measuring 10 feet 6 inches in length, including the tail, which is 

 2 feet 6 inches. On the coast and in the Kilimanjaro district the 

 great majority of the heads were wider in the palm in proportion to 

 the spread, whilst those found farther north towards Lake Baringo had 

 a wider spread in comparison with the width of palm. 



"In 1890 rinderpest appeared amongst the native cattle, and 

 spread among the buffaloes so rapidly that by the end of April they 

 were decimated, and there are now [1900] few left. There are also 

 three or four small herds in the Mau district, which confine themselves 

 so closely to the dense undergrowth in the forest that they are 

 practically unapproachable even to the Wanderobbo hunters, who can 

 creep about in such places with less noise than a European. Since 

 they are now so scarce and confine themselves to the thickest jungle, 

 from which they only emerge late in the evenings to feed, it is more 

 than ever incumbent on the sportsman to do his utmost to be on their 

 feeding-ground in good time and endeavour to catch them in the open. 

 He can then make a certainty of picking out a bull ; whereas if he has 

 to follow a herd into dense bush he is as likely as not to shoot a cow, 



