UGANDA. AND THE XYAXZA LAKES w 7 



now breeding. White cow-herons, tamer than barn-yard 

 fowls, accompanied the cattle, perching on their backs, 

 or walking beside them. Beautiful Kavirondo cranes came 

 familiarly round the houses. It was all strange and at- 

 tractive. Birds sang everywhere. The air was heavy 

 with the fragrance of flowers of many colors; the whole 

 place was a riot of lush growing plants. Every day there 



Colonel Roosevelt at the Mission of the White Fathers 

 From a photograph by Kermit Roosevelt 



were terrific thunder-storms. At Kampalla three men 

 had been killed by lightning within six weeks; a year or two 

 before our host, Knowles, had been struck by lightning 

 and knocked senseless, a huge zigzag mark being left across 

 his body, and the links of his gold watch chain being fused; 

 it was many months before he completely recovered. 



Knowles arranged a situtunga hunt for us. The situ- 

 tunga is closely related to the bushbuck but is bigger, with 

 very long hoofs, and shaggy hair like a waterbuck. It is 

 exclusively a beast of the marshes, making its home in the 

 thick reedbeds, where the water is deep; and it is exceed- 

 ingly shy, so that very few white men have shot, or even 



