CHAPTER XV 



HUNTING ON LAKE &0LA1— {Concluded) 



WATERBUCK. WILD-DOGS, WART-HOG AND RHINOS 

 (return TO NAKURU) 



The following is a note from my brother's diary — 



" A special object with me was to procure a good 

 example of the sing-sing waterbiick, small herds of which 

 we had observed feeding both at dawn and dusk on the 

 grassy Hats far away beyond the marsh. These ante- 

 lopes, however, are not seen by day, retiring then into 

 the thicker bush. 



" Shortly after daybreak, we marked a herd of eight, 

 including one fine bull, which, it seemed, might be 

 stalked from within the cover of the marsh itself — this 

 being embowered amidst miles of waving rush. This 

 operation we proceeded to carry out, but promptly encoun- 

 tered unforeseen difficalty. For this bog was over knee- 

 deep in clinging mire, overgrown with dense marsh-plants, 

 flags and papyrus, and intercepted with trailers that 

 entangled every step. Moreover, a herd of elephants 

 had recently lingered therein, leaving cavernous footprints 

 half-a-yard in depth and filled with a compound that it 

 would be an injustice to filthy water to describe as 

 such. 



" After half-an-hour of these joys, we descried, above 

 the bobbing bulrushes ahead, the tips of those coveted 

 horns. But while trying to secure a better view, despite 

 all our care, the animals took alarm, moved away, and 

 finally oflfered but a long and difiicult shot which produced 

 no result. 



" Rejoicing at least to escape from the mephitic 



175 



