F 



FIRST EXPEDITION TO EAST AFRICA 87 



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from the Victoria Nyanza, and had to wait at 

 the station until 3 p.m., as the train was delayed; 

 but the long wait at the station was not specially 

 irksome. About a tumblerful and a half of Ume- 

 juice and water was all that passed my lips in 

 orty-seven hours, and in the preceding sixteen 

 ours I had eaten very little. As already said, 

 owever, the fast caused me surprisingly little 

 inconvenience; but the discomfort of the two 

 old, damp nights upon the ground was very 

 eat. 



After settling up matters with Bird at Naivasha 



and saying good-bye to him on the 25th of March, 



moved camp to the Elmenteita railway station, 



nd hunted the plain there for some days. At 



Imenteita I made the acquaintance of Mr. 



hamberlain, a colonist who had a large grant 



f land in the vicinity, and who kindly gave me 



ermission to shoot upon his ground. In one 



art of the estate which he indicated Mr. 



hamberlain had, as he informed me, come upon 



everal hons in the grass. They stood and looked 



,t him for some time ; and, as he was entirely 



armed, it was an unpleasant adventure. But 



ventually they moved off. In dry weather 



the place probably was a favourite haunt for 



lions, as it was low-lying and the cover was dense, 



and the Elmenteita plain, upon which there was 



much game, was within easy access. When I 



was there, however, the rains had begun and the 



ground was partly flooded, and the Hons had 



evidently sought drier quarters. I hunted the 



ground carefully, two or three times, but saw no 



signs of them. 



