XI FROM EL BOGOI TO LAKE RUDOLPH 249 



porters were always my first consideration when travelling, and 

 I was well satisfied to take a bit of whatever I found it most 

 advantageous to shoot for their benefit. 



Strolling through the green bush bordering the stream in 

 the afternoon, accompanied only by Pice, a short way only 

 from camp, I saw a rhinoceros cow with a calf. But as, with 

 the {&\\ men I had, we could not carry more meat, I left her 

 alone. When on my way back, Pice, as was his wont, ran 

 under a shady tree just ahead ; and before I knew anything 

 about it, out charged the rhino with the calf after him. The 

 dog made straight for me (I was only a few yards off), pursued 

 by the irate cow whose siesta he had disturbed, and I had to 

 bang off my rifle hurriedly in her face to turn her, which it 

 fortunately did. Lions roared during the night, and mosquitoes 

 made almost as much, and a more disagreeable, noise. 



In the morning we had but a short march to the other 

 branch of the Barasaloi, called the Suya ; and it is remarkable 

 that whereas on my previous journey, the year before, the 

 Barasaloi was dry — not a sign of moisture to be found even by 

 digging, — while this spruit had plenty of water, now the former 

 was running strong all over its sandy bed, but here there was 

 much less water than there had been then, and in the afternoon 

 it almost ceased to flow. This is an illustration of how very 

 partial and uncertain the rains are in this country, and shows 

 how dangerous it is to calculate on finding water even a short 

 way ahead (though you may have got plenty there formerly) 

 because there happens to be no scarcity in one part. 



I stayed over another day here in order to have a look 

 down the valley in case there might be any elephants about, 

 and took advantage of the delay to send a couple of men ahead 

 to hide a bucket of water some four hours' march along the 

 route we should have to pass (the next being a very long stage), 

 so that the men might have a good drink, in addition to what 

 they could carry themselves, on our road to Ongata Barta. I 

 found nothing but old spoor, proving there were no elephants 



