VIVIAN AMONG THE ELEPHANTS. 79 



remembrance of, perhaps, what some people would call 

 a cold-blooded murder. On our return to camp, Essafi's 

 report of the death of an immense crocodile caused great 

 excitement amongst the camel-men ; and as Essafi said 

 it was far too big to be brought home whole, a party 

 started off on camels to skin and cut it up. When 

 they arrived at the place they found that the crocodile 

 had turned over again, and as one man went close up to 

 him, he slipped into the water and was lost. The ex- 

 perience therefore of yesterday and to-day is, that the 

 express rifles with expanding bullets do not answer for 

 crocodile-shooting. 



On Vivian fell the honours of the day. Having de- 

 cided upon a long day's elephant-hunt, he provided him- 

 self with a good supply of water ; and the horses being 

 fed and watered, he and his hunter took a line of country 

 directly away from the river in search of fresh tracks. 

 The search was soon successful, and, after following them 

 up for about an hour, Mohamed made signs that he 

 could hear elephants ahead. The two horses were then 

 tied to a tree, and stalking commenced as quietly as 

 possible, though under considerable difficulties, owing to 

 the overhanging branches of the mimosas with their 

 hooked thorns, which, without ' elephants ahead ' as a 

 stimulus, have much too great a power of penetration to 

 make walking amongst them an agreeable occupation. 



