252 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



at length, nearly a month after my arrival, we were able to 

 march once more. Abdulla was much longer in following 

 than I had expected, and, when he at last arrived, it turned 

 out that on reaching El Bogoi he had found that the men in 

 charge there had lost the donkeys, with the result that when, 

 after several days' search, they were recovered, they had almost 

 perished from thirst and one died in consequence. Then the 

 two that I had brought on had to be sent back for some loads 

 that had been left, and on the way one was killed, one dark wet 

 night, by a lion. This one was a great favourite of mine and 

 the handsomest and best I had, as is sure to be the case when 

 any evil befalls one of your animals. I was particularly grieved 

 about these mishaps to my cherished donkeys, which I had 

 cared for almost like children. But one must take all mis- 

 fortunes, annoyances, and delays philosophically in Africa, 

 especially trying though they be when brought about by 

 carelessness. 



On this visit I succeeded in getting in touch with the 

 natives inhabiting the mountain, and got some of them to 

 come to my camp. They call themselves the Sambur tribe 

 (not Samburu, as it is generally spelt). They live entirely in 

 the mountains, other communities of the same tribe inhabiting 

 the not distant heights of Kulale and Marasambiti. These 

 people have been able to keep their live stock in spite of raids, 

 thanks to their mountain fastnesses. They live solely on the 

 produce of their cattle and do not cultivate. They do not 

 differ much in type from the Masai. One old man, whom I 

 saw a good deal of, was a particularly handsome specimen, with 

 regular features. I did not find them satisfactory people to 

 deal with. They had been accustomed to Svvahili traders, 

 whose custom it is to give presents to any native who tells 

 them pleasant news, the consequence being that they are 

 constantly fooled by the false reports which they have paid for. 



I learnt that a party of Wakamba, from south of the Tana, 

 had been here two or three months ago hunting elephants, and 



