Through the Semliki Valley 223 



I climbed on to a small plateau close to our camp, and from 

 this coign of vantage my eyes roved over the incomparable 

 panorama of an almost limitless plain. Expanses of reed-grass 

 alternated with patches of elephant-grass, barren steppes and 

 trees. The glistening waters of the Semliki completed a fine 

 picture. In the far distance diminutive specks could be seen 

 moving slowly hither and thither, and we knew them to be the 

 slender bodies of antelopes. The sun poured down its fierce rays 

 on us with terrible force. Standing there, lost in thought and 

 gazing at the marvellous prospect, I heard sounds of lamenta- 

 tion behind me. Turning round I beheld my boy executing a 

 lively Indian dance and hopping about from one foot to the 

 other. 



" What are you doing ? " I asked laughingly. 



"Master, the stones are so hot that my feet are being burnt," 

 was the reply. 



Putting my own hand on the rocks to test the assertion, I 

 was compelled to withdraw it immediately for pain. A blister 

 that instantly formed convinced me that my boy had not com- 

 plained without cause. 



In close proximity to our small camp we saw some dozen 

 crocodiles basking on a sandbank. We made up our minds to 

 kill some of these hated enemies of man which considerably 

 heighten the mortality of the native races. First, however, I 

 determined to utilise them as a welcome subject for my camera. 

 Accompanied by Weidemann I crawled snake-like along the 

 ground. At a distance of about lOO metres I raised the camera 

 very carefully above the grass and "clicked." The slight sound., 

 however, sufficed to create a certain uneasiness among some of 

 the animals. So, lying on the ground, I hurriedly changed the 

 plates and took a second snap-shot. The renewed sound caused 

 one of the reptiles to draw near the water and others prepared 

 to follow. Then I jumped up and shot six of them one after 

 the other ; four remained dead on the banks, whilst the other 

 two, bleeding badly, rolled over mto the water. The scene was 

 an animated one ; the animals tumbled over each other in their 



