PROWLERS OF THE PLAINS 59 



Our first night on the plains of the Serengetti was 

 spent at a hastily constructed camp near the Serra 

 Nyiro. This river bed, dry most of the time, was to 

 play an important part in our future operations, and 

 by way of introduction, that very night we heard the 

 Hons roaring along its banks. 



We had arrived after dark and things were, of 

 course, in much confusion, to which was added a httle 

 excitement, when one of our boys shouted that a big 

 snake was crawhng through the center of the dining 

 room. There was a mad scramble to attack the in- 

 truder with sticks, and in the semidarkness a thorough 

 job was done; but before we could congratulate our- 

 selves, it was discovered that our victim was a small 

 python, nonpoisonous, worth five dollars a foot alive 

 and nothing dead. 



We didn't quite rehsh the idea of being so close to 

 the bushy grass-filled ravines, or dongas, for there was 

 a good possibihty of finding Hons prowling around in 

 camp, which, of course, would get quite wearisome 

 after awhile. 



Next day Mike and I went in search of a better 

 camp site, being successful in finding a marvelous loca- 

 tion on the slope of a small liill four miles away. Here 

 in the shade of some beautiful, flat-topped mimosa 

 trees we pitched our tents. Thus was born Camp 

 Simba or "camp of the Hons" wliich was to become 

 world-known. Next we built a dining banda, or hut, 

 by placing over a framework of small hmbs a tliick 

 covering of grass. This made a cool and comfortable 

 retreat, which was used as an assembhng place; also 

 for a dining room. The cook, or as he will be called 

 hereafter, pishi, which is Swahifi for cook, preferred to 



