NIGHT IN THE BUSH 



Several blank days from a photographic point 

 of view followed, then the diary continues : — 



Monday, June 28th. — In the evening we walked 

 into Naivasha, and whilst returning we put up a buck, 

 which went off in such a hurry and fright that he ran 

 full tilt into a fence which happened to be just there 

 and broke his neck. It is a weird sensation walking 

 through the bush at night with a fair moon. It was 

 glorious. The stillness could almost be felt, but every 

 now and then you would see some misty form go 

 sneaking off, sometimes accompanied by the awful 

 howl which distinguishes the hyena. Then again, though 

 nothing could be seen, you would hear a tremendous 

 crash as something dived into a neighbouring bush 

 and then the silence settled down once more. The 

 Masai with his mighty spear was with me, so I felt 

 fairly comfortable. Otherwise I was totally unarmed. 



Tuesday, June 2gth. — We went over to the 

 Government farm again, and saw a fine flight of 

 egrets, but I could not get a picture of them. How- 

 ever, I did, after some careful and tedious stalking, 

 secure some photographs of the rhino birds catching 

 and eating ticks off the cattle, and also of some 

 delightfully pretty little birds with very long, wavy tails 

 — ^they are known locally as " wax-bills " — and also of 

 a bee which builds a nest of mud in the corners of 

 the houses. It was most interesting to watch these 



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