50 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



a good look at the country and gained information likely to be 

 of use. I saw three giraffes with a small herd of zebras and a 

 couple of rhinos during the day, but did not attempt to shoot 

 anything (though one of the latter with a rather fine horn gave 

 me a tempting chance), as it was far from camp and I did not 

 want to be delayed by waiting for my men, who were in want 

 of meat, to skin and cut up an animal. This was a long, hard 

 day and I felt I must take a rest, as my feet were very 

 painful in the night : so the following day I really did remain 

 in camp. 



A great many of my Mthara friends came to my camp to 

 make shauri {sJiowery it is pronounced), as the Swahili call a 

 palaver, corresponding to the South African " indaba." The 

 shauri is a great institution in Central Africa, and I have known 

 white men to develop quite a passion for shauri making ; but 

 for my own part I find them a bore, though one cannot escape 

 them altogether. One of these, in this instance, was about an 

 elephant (one wounded by me) which I had been informed had 

 been found : but it turned out it was a mistake, arising from 

 defective interpretation. I had to promise to go to the kraals 

 the next day to call upon " my father " (that is the father of 

 my new " blood brother "), whither the young men were to 

 escort me. In the afternoon, as a relief to the monotony of a 

 whole day in camp and partly to get away from these tedious 

 " shauris," I strolled out to look for impala, as I knew there 

 were some quite near and meat was wanted, and succeeded in 

 shooting three. 



]\Iy visit to the kraals was not at all interesting. The 

 huts are small, untidy, and dirty, as are the owners. I had an 

 interview with a blind old man (my brother's father) and was 

 kept waiting a long time, while my relatives made their 

 inevitable " shauri," but was eventually given a sheep and a 

 promise of men to go with me to hunt under Kilimara, and 

 allowed to go my way. 



As this escort was not to come till the day but one after. 



