THE TANA RIVER 



These brutes are exceedingly powerful. They 

 are capable of taking down horses and cattle, with 

 no particular effort. This I know from my own 

 observation. Mr. Fleischman, however, was privi- 

 leged to see the wonderful sight of the capture and 

 destruction of a full-grown rhinoceros by a crocodile. 

 The photographs he took of this most extraordinary 

 affair leave no room for doubt. Crossing a stream 

 was always a matter of concern to us. The boys 

 beat the surface of the water vigorously with their 

 safari sticks. On occasion we have even let loose a 

 few heavy bullets to stir up the pool before ventur- 

 ing in. 



A steep climb through thorn and brush would 

 always extricate us from the river jungle when we 

 became tired of it. Then we found ourselves in a 

 continuous but scattered growth of small trees. 

 Between the trunks of these we could see for a 

 hundred yards or so before their numbers closed in 

 the view. Here was the favourite haunt of numerous 

 beautiful impalla. We caught glimpses of them, 

 flashing through the trees; or occasionally standing 

 gazing in our direction, their slender necks stretched 

 high, their ears pointed for us. These curious ones 

 were generally the does. The bucks were either 

 more cautious or less inquisitive. A herd or so of 

 eland also liked this covered country; and there 



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