EXPLORATION OF THE EIVER YEI 359 



cutting up the water ; they are generally long, sometimes 

 stretching a mile. Lastly, there are small reef-rapids and 

 strong currents running over rocky beds ; these would 

 disappear with a small rise of the river. 



The next day, November 8, was a red-letter day ; we 

 made a good course of eleven miles up to the eighth camp 

 from Wandi. In this length, with the exception of three 

 reef-rapids, the river is excellent and has an average width 

 of fifty yards, with well-defined banks. In the good water 

 above the last of these rapids we came upon two hippos 

 which took fright and made off over the reef. They had a 

 rough time of it in the strong current among the rocks, 

 tumbhng over and over Hke giant casks. It was then that I 

 shot one of them. We were now well off for meat, for the 

 carriers while in the bush frightened a leopard off a bushbuck 

 which it had just killed, and brought the meat into camp. 



This part of the river is a great hippo resort, and in my 

 evening ramble I came across a pool where I counted fifteen. 

 That night they came to their feeding-grounds close to the 

 camp and serenaded us with grunts and cries. 



The tsetse-fly {Glossina papalis) was now very troublesome. 

 I was stung several times ; the pain is sharp and does not 

 go off at once. This terrible pest unhke the other species of 

 tsetse attacks silently, and in no time its body becomes dis- 

 tended with blood and looks like a transparent, red baU. 



Travelling on this river was full of ups and downs, our 

 course the next day was only two and a half miles. In this 

 way we continued for many days, finding the river improve 

 but little and seeing no sign of human life along the banks 

 till we reached the neighbourhood of Raffai. When within 



