3i8 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



to the neighbourhood of Murli ; but instead of going right on 

 to the villages, we halted at a charming camping-place I found 

 under fine shady trees by the river-bank about half an hour 

 short of the settlement, and rested there about 2.30. These 

 grateful groves of tall, dark-foliaged trees, which fringe at in- 

 tervals the river-banks, form a refreshing contrast, pleasant to 

 the eyes, to the thirsty-looking stunted scrub with which the 

 greater part of this arid country is covered. They are fre- 

 quented by the beautiful colobus monkey, whose cry may often 

 be heard in them, though the animals themselves keep out of 

 sight in the leafy tree-tops. Then going on again we bivouacked 

 at sundown on the open ridges half-way between Murli and 

 Bumi. I found plenty of mosquitoes even so far from the lake, 

 and had to get up in the night and pitch my net ; but there 

 were not enough to trouble my men much. 



The next morning we went on down towards the lake 

 and formed camp under a tree about half an hour's walk 

 short of its nearest point. I then sent on to Bumi for my 

 two native friends. On arriving they said there was a large 

 herd on the edge of the lake near here, but that it was now in 

 the dense bush which stretches from the other side of this bay 

 towards a place called Murthu, near the mouth of the river. 

 They came prepared to sleep in my camp, ready for hunting 

 on the morrows In the afternoon I went out and shot a " topi " 

 for meat, not far from camp. There were great numbers of 

 them about. 



This was loth January. Just before the entry for that day 

 I find the following note in my diary : — " Up to this I wrote 

 regularly in my diary each day the doings of the day before. 

 Meeting with a serious accident on the i ith, I was unable to 

 keep on this practice for the time : nor did I feel certain whether 

 I should ever be able to pick up the thread again, not knowing 

 how my illness might end. I therefore kept count of the days 

 and events on note-paper in pencil only, and it was not until 

 27th January that I felt able once more to open this book ; be- 



