266 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



rather soon on all but the very keenest. No one who 

 has seen that splendid sportsman, Mr. Jackson, stalk- 

 ing, or has known of what wonderful feats he has 

 been capable, such as getting to within 30 yards of a 

 Coke's hartebeeste on the plain, can doubt that skill, 

 not to say endurance, of a very high order indeed is 

 required. 



Eland are both common nowadays and well distri- 

 buted throughout the Highlands, though in 1909-10 

 there was a rather large mortality from gastro-enteritis, 

 more especially towards the German border. They 

 are numerous in both Game Reserves, on the Yatta 

 plains, the Serengati plains, the Ithanga hills, all along 

 the Tana and round Baringo. Old bulls are naturally 

 less plentiful than a few years back ; the Serengati 

 plains probably alone hold big bulls in any large 

 quantity. Eland run small in the Protectorate, com- 

 paratively speaking. A fine old bull in good condi- 

 tion might weigh 1,600 lb. In South Africa he would 

 weigh 2,000 lb. A fair bull would have 25-inch horns. 

 Anything over 27 inches would be very good. The 

 oldest bulls have more massive but shorter horns, 

 since in old age the points are almost invariably 

 shortened by rubbing. An attempt has been made to 

 establish a sub-species (pattersonii) of the northern 

 individuals. Such subdivision is very far-fetched. 

 Eland are migratory, and, in fact, always changing 

 their ground. Thus, although, as I have said, they 

 are very common, I know of no farm where a herd is 

 domiciled. If news of eland is brought in one evening, 

 their whereabouts on the morrow is quite uncertain ; 

 it is, however, certain that it will be many miles 

 distant. Settlers have always looked with a kindly 

 eye on the eland, the Rift Valley farmers, a most 



