CHAPTER XV 



RETURN TO LAKE RUDOLPH {continued) 



Adjustment of caravan — Desertion and disappointment — A school of hippos — "A 

 day of humiliation" — My clumsy specimen — A problem for scientists — An 

 elephant hunt — The reward of patience — Rapacity of a vulture — Shooting a 

 veteran — The tusk of a patriarch — Planning of transport — A diverting study — 

 Preparation of "biltong" — A triumphant show — Settling a point of honour — 

 A mistaken hardship — Treatment of carriers — Arrival of caravan. 



My expedition, small as it was, had been equipped with a view 

 to being away at least two years ; hence I had some surplus 

 supplies of beads, cartridges, etc., which it would be useless to 

 carry back to the coast. These superfluous loads I left in 

 charge of Lekwari, building a little hut for the purpose of 

 storing them in his kraal and telling him not to expect to see 

 me back again under two years. By reducing my impedimenta 

 to what I considered necessary to see us down, including 

 possibly two or three months' delay at El Bogoi, I was able to 

 have several spare porters after allotting all the loads. Our 

 food supplies, consisting of some thirty odd loads of meal, and 

 the smaller ivory, as well as beads and ammunition, could all 

 be packed on the donkeys, leaving only the heavy tusks, my 

 own personal belongings and specimens, etc., to be carried by 

 the porters. Of course, had not my hunting been brought to 

 a sudden end and my journey cut short, I might have accumu- 

 lated more ivory than we could transport. But in that case I 

 should have had to make some special plan to get it carried 

 down, such as two trips to some point south of Bassu where a 



