ELEPHANTS. 31 



we went to look for the grave, but the place pointed 

 out bore no signs of having been devoted to such a 

 purpose. It might or might not have been the right 

 one. 



After leaving the Ruo, several shoals or herds of 

 hippopotami were seen in the river. I succeeded in 

 killing one out of their number, a couple getting away 

 into deep water badly wounded. That night we 

 halted at a place where the long grass was too green 

 to burn, and once more became the unhappy victims 

 of myriads of mosquitoes. The following morning the 

 first sign of being in an elephant country came to my 

 notice. Their spoor might be seen in many places 

 along the banks. About 3 p.m., on rounding a point, 

 I (being as usual first) saw several elephants bathing 

 in a shallow part of the river, close to an island 

 covered with long grass. My heart leaped at the 

 sight of an elephant once more ! On examining the 

 place with the glasses I discovered about ten more 

 standing in the grass on the island, the tips of their 

 heads and backs being alone visible. One enormous 

 animal towering above the rest showed a good deal of 

 the head and body. I was particularly struck with 

 their immense ears. I got my guns ready, and was 

 making for them, when a little breeze sprung up, and 

 the Search rounded the point in full sail. Mr. Young, 

 having seen the spoor along the bank, had sent one 

 of his men to the mast-head to look out. The mo- 

 ment the fool saw the elephants he commenced shout- 

 ing like a maniac, and, as a matter of course, the 

 frightened animals were off across the river like a 

 shot, and were instantly lost to sight in the long reeds. 



