162 THE LAND OF THE LION 



we did what we could to photograph them, but while we 

 waited to make sure of their "ivories," they had gained the 

 edge of a swampy bit of valley where the bush was thick. 

 This wouldn't have saved them from a hunter, but it was 

 sufficient to embarrass the would-be photographer. I 

 got within seventy yards of one big cow, but she went 

 into dark shade and was lost to my camera. Whether 

 any result shall reward our efforts to get a picture I cannot 

 at present say, but even if we failed, it was a most fasci- 

 nating stalk, the dark bulk of the great beasts, moving 

 in that mysteriously silent way, through brittle and thorny 

 bush. Here and there a vast ear would be thrown out 

 and forward. They seemed to suspect some strange 

 thing near (though the wind was steady and in our favour) 

 and showed some restlessness for a time. Then, having 

 apparently found the sort of feeding they liked, they settled 

 down for the day in the deep shade, and so, undisturbed, 

 we left them. 



How is it possible for these animals whose sight is so 

 bad that they cannot detect a man at fifty yards distance, 

 to take the wonderfully straight course, they invariably 

 do, when making their great marches ? If you want to steer 

 a good course in a difficult country to find the nearest way 

 from point to point, avoiding rough places and deep fords 

 or swamps, follow travelling elephant. You cannot im- 

 prove on his topography. He knows where he wants to 

 go and how to get there, by the shortest and safest road, 

 HOW, without vision which would enable him to recog- 

 nize locality, he does this, no one knows. He will wander 

 up and down in the bush he feeds in, like any other browsing 

 beast. But once travelling is the order of the day, he 

 "stakes his line" unerringly. 



This great country that stretches from Sergoit to the 

 Turquell River is much cut up by steep and swampy streams. 

 Jn the rains, and for weeks following them, these are so 



