X EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 215 



made straight for the neighbourhood of a spring called Mreya. 

 Our route led us along the foot of the range, still going north, 

 and in and out of amphitheatres formed by the mouths of 

 valleys running down from the mountains. All the country 

 at their base and for some distance back from them was covered 

 with dense scrub. We found spoor in the vicinity of the spring, 

 but wasted a good deal of time in trying to puzzle out its 

 ultimate direction, as the elephants had been strolling about 

 backwards and forwards. Then I decided to do what we ought 

 to have done at first ; namely, go to the water. There we found 

 the spoor of two small lots, but, as far as I could make out, all 

 cows ; and I could not discover the phenomenal footprint that 

 had been described to me. One of the lots seemed to have 

 gone back in the direction of El Bogoi, the other ahead. 

 We followed the latter. It was slow work, for there were quite 

 a few elephants and the tracks were often difficult to follow. 

 They had been sauntering along, feeding here and there, as the 

 chewed rolls of fibre of the mkongi plant (which they spit out) 

 testified. Occasionally fresh droppings were on the spoor, 

 but we had not found any warm yet ; and though, as is 

 customary when elephants are known to be not far off, we 

 stopped now and then to listen, no sound indicating their close 

 proximity had reached our ears. 



We were thus moving along on the spoor without any 

 immediate expectation of coming up with our game, though as 

 a matter of course we were proceeding in the cautious and 

 careful manner which becomes instinctive habit, threading our 

 way silently through the narrow and more or less obstructed 

 winding alleys which permeate these dense and thorny jungles 

 and testing the wind now and again, when we came suddenly 

 close upon them. I could see several at once, for, just where 

 they were standing, the bush was not quite so thick. I stole up 

 yet nearer, and stood surveying the position. Luckily the breeze 

 was favourable and held steady. Two cows were close on my 

 right, heads towards me, and prevented my getting into a better 



