Ill CAMPING AT MOUNT KENIA 67 



was therefore with no regret that I returned to my " elephant 

 camp" at Mthara. 



From there I then made a short expedition in another 

 direction — namely, northward, towards the Gwaso Nyiro 

 River. My Mthara friends had offered to take me to a swamp, 

 in whose neighbourhood they said elephants were sometimes 

 to be found ; so I accepted their guidance, and on 31st May 

 we started, in the lightest possible marching order, as I did not 

 intend to be away more than a night or two from my camp. 

 It was nearly noon before we got off, on account of the guides 

 being late — rather to my disgust, as I am always for an early 

 start even if the distance to be travelled is not great ; — but as 

 we had only half a day's journey to go, with no heavy loads to 

 carry, it did not much matter. We followed down a stream, 

 which comes from Mthara, through very stony ground, until 

 it spread out into a reedy swamp. The country was very open, 

 with only scattered thorn-trees, and so far did not look at all 

 likely for elephants ; nor did we see any spoor. On the way 

 I saw no game but a few Grant's gazelles ; but near the swamp 

 was a troop of Grevy's zebras, one of which I shot for my men. 

 After choosing a place to camp close to the swamp, where, 

 after some trouble, a spot fairly clear of stones was found, I 

 went after some gazelle, which were close by, at the guides' 

 request, and shot one for them, as they turned up their noses at 

 zebra. But they then said they did not eat game at all, and 

 only wanted the skin. The airs these natives give themselves, 

 in imitation of Masai customs, are ridiculous. They own very 

 little stock (a few sheep and goats and a very few cattle), but 

 pretend they despise game, though in reality most of them will 

 eat it on the sly. I have no patience with such nonsense, 

 especially in the bush ; but as they counted themselves my 

 brothers and had brought no food themselves, I gave them my 

 only yam, resolving not to take them as guides again. Two 

 or three ostriches were visible across the swamp, and an old 

 rhino was pottering about near our camp. There were, too, 



