148 HOW TO FIND WATER. 



" After four days' travelling on foot, I came to fresh 

 waggon-spoor ; we followed it up, when I found it was Eus 

 and Maritz returning from a shooting-journey. They had 

 some spare oxen, which they lent me ; I returned with this 

 help, mended my waggon, and had my revenge on the 

 herd of elephants, killing three of them before I left." 



" Well/' said Kemp, ' ' when I go into a country where 

 there is not much water, I always take my baboon." 



" You don't drink him, do you?" 



"No, but I make him show me water/' 



" How do you do that?" 



" In this way : When water gets scarce, I give the 

 Bavian none : if he does not seem thirsty, I rub a little 

 salt on his tongue ; I then take him out with a long string 

 or chain. At first it was difficult to make him understand 

 what was wanted, for he always wished to go back to the 

 waggons. Now, however, he is well trained. 



" When I get him out some distance, I let him go ; he 

 runs along a bit, scratches himself, shows his teeth at me, 

 takes a smell up-wind, looks all round, picks up a bit 

 of grass, smells or eats it, stands up for another sniff, 

 canters on, and so on. Wherever the nearest water is, 

 there he is sure to go." This anecdote was corroborated 

 by others present. 



I think a tame baboon to point water is a new phrase 

 to our non-travelled sporting friends. 



" These elephants must have been very angry," said 

 Kemp. " One never knows in what temper to find them : 

 tlioy are on one day quiet, and seem scarcely to object 

 to being shot at, while on another they will not allow 



