136 



ON SAFARI 



it with my very last cartridge. What strikes one on 

 examining these antelopes newly-killed, are the immense 

 ears and the big prominent eye, set high up in the broad 

 forehead — no wonder they can see and hear ! The 

 irides are rich dark hazel, and a narrow black blaze runs 

 down centre of face. 



During this cripple-chase, while passing through 

 some terribly rocky ground, I found myself in the midst 

 of a troop of baboons, some running on all-fours, others 

 perched on rock-pinnacles. I shot one of the latter, a 



female of the East-African 

 species, Pa/9^o iheanus, which 

 was busy eating a wild fruit 

 like a "devil's tomato," called 

 here by a pretty Swahili name 

 that I forget. The day's bag 

 also included an impala and 

 a pair of Cavendish's dikclik, 

 the male scaling \\\ lbs. 

 {JMadoqua cavendishi), with 

 horns 3^- ins. in length ; the 

 female weighed a good pound 

 more than her lord. I saw 

 them feeding outside some 

 very rocky scrub, stalked the 

 spot, and got both with a 

 right-and-left of buckshot. I also wounded an ostrich, 

 but failed to secure him. 



Leaving Elmenteita, we marched round the south- 

 eastern end of the lake, seeincr on route several more 

 immense wart-hogs, a few ostriches and other game. The 

 country here is absolutely lovely, park-like, studded with 

 clumps of mimosa, while " fever-trees " like huge beeches, 

 except for their vicious thorns and blood-red inner bark, 

 fringe the lake-shore ; there are rugged koppies in mid- 

 distance, and a mountain background to complete the 

 picture. We encamped on the Karriendoos River, on 

 the north side of the lake, and half-a-mile inland from 

 the river-mouth.^ 



^ See sketch map at p. 14. 



chanler's keedbuck (female). 



