THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 



discovered that the forest was more apparent than 

 real. The small trees, even where continuous, were 

 sparse enough to permit free walking in all directions, 

 and open enough to allow clear sight for a hundred 

 yards or so. Furthermore, the shallow wide valleys 

 between the hills were almost invariably treeless and 

 grown to very high thick grass. 



Thus the course of the Tana possessed advan- 

 tages to such as we. By following in general the 

 course of the stream we were always certain of wood 

 and water. The river itself was full of fish — not to 

 speak of hundreds of crocodiles and hippopotamuses. 

 The thick river jungle gave cover to such animals as 

 the bushbuck, leopard, the beautiful colobus, some 

 of the tiny antelope, waterbuck, buffalo and rhinoc- 

 eros. Among the thorn and acacia trees of the 

 hillsides one was certain of Impalla, eland, diks-diks, 

 and giraffes. In the grass bottoms were lions, rhinoc- 

 eroses, a half dozen varieties of buck, and thousands 

 and thousands of game birds such as guinea fowl 

 and grouse. On the plains fed zebra, hartebeeste, 

 wart-hog, ostriches, and several species of the smaller 

 antelope. As a sportsman's paradise this region 

 would be hard to beat. 



We were now afoot. The dreaded tsetse fly 

 abounded here, and we had sent our horses in via 

 Fort Hall. F. had accompanied them, and hoped to 



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