200 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



did not see any elephants or any fresh tracks of 

 elephants; but, in the time at our disposal, it 

 was only possible to explore the country in the 

 vicinity of the place where the river enters the 

 swamp. This appeared, however, to be the 

 most likely part of the swamp for sport. 



The crocodiles in the river were very daring 

 and ferocious, though they did not appear to 

 attain to a large size. On our way to the Lorian 

 the porters fished and bathed with impunity, 

 and no mishap occurred. On one day, however, 

 I shot a water-buck which entered the river. 

 The water was shallow on the side of the river 

 on which I and my men were standing, but was 

 deep under the other bank. The buck was 

 badly wounded, and stood in the shallow water, 

 and, while I was considering what to do, a crocodile 

 caught sight of him and swam up-stream to the 

 attack. When he started he must have been at 

 least 100 yards from the buck, and he swam- 

 near the surface of the water with the eyes and 

 part of the head showing, and his tail churning 

 up the water behind him like the screw of a 

 steamer. The eyes gleamed with ferocity. My 

 Somalis were not obtrusive in their devotions, 

 and this was the only occasion upon which 

 I heard Tagarru call upon the name of God ; 

 but the " Allah " which he uttered conveyed 

 expressively the disgust and horror which the 

 sight inspired. A crocodile or an alligator is a 

 particularly loathsome brute. The crocodile's 

 head did not offer much of a mark, and the body 

 was submerged ; but the buck was not more than 

 50 yards from me, and when he was near the 



