VOYAGE UP WHITE NILE 57 



through intricate archipelagos of islands, some wooded, 

 all heavily fringed with papyrus and giant sedges 15 or 

 20 feet in height, together with other strange aquatic 

 plants. Here, along with the papyrus, commences the 

 mosquito-scourge. No longer, after sundown, can one 

 enjoy the luxury of dining or smoking on the open deck. 

 Nets must be rigged and knee-boots of supple pliant 

 leather donned at dusk. 



Such narrow riverside cultivation as exists is now 

 flanked by what looks' like real "big-game veld" that is, 

 plains of sere halfa-grass, waist-deep, interspersed with 

 the open mimosa-forest and scrub, so typical of Africa. 

 We, however, did no serious hunting at this point. The 

 hunting-veld is only assumed and we assented to that 

 assumption to begin further south, by Jebelein (238 

 miles) ; though the range of cob, gazelle, and other ante- 

 lopes, such as tiang and waterbuck, extends as far north 

 as scrub grows. 



Here we first meet with hippopotamus ; and crocodiles 

 become numerous, lying wherever a mud-islet or foreshore 

 affords convenient resting-place. Silently we sailed past 

 many, fast asleep, within 50 yards, and I shot several. 

 A -375 dum-dum bullet placed either full on shoulder or 

 close behind the eye knocks them stiff. When shot in 

 brain or vertebrae of neck (either, of course, causing 

 instant death), such is the terrific muscular power of 

 these great reptiles that, in a final convulsion, they will 

 throw themselves bolt upright, with jaws agape and claws 

 wide outspread or even turn a back-somersault ere 

 totally collapsing. In their slime-clad armour crocs are 

 not always easy to see on a slimy bed. When disturbed 

 it surprised me to observe this a crocodile first raises 

 itself to the full height of its short legs, looks around, and 

 then walks like a dog rather than waddles to the water. 

 At a pinch, however, their activity and speed in gaining 

 that refuge is amazing. The biggest actually measured 



