376 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



but it did not matter, as there was no occasion to hunt. While 

 resting during the march, I was interested in watching a tiny 

 gray spider with black stripes — one of the jumping kind — 

 pounce upon a big yellow ant, and kill it in no time by biting 

 its waist while sticking to its back. I knocked it off twice 

 with a bit of grass, but it returned to its victim after a short 

 pause both times. The second time, however, it met some 

 small dark red ants, which had discovered the prey, and backed 

 away, seemingly afraid of them. The relative proportions in 

 size of the predatory spider and its victim were about those 

 of a lion to a camel. I once noticed, when bathing in the El 

 Bogoi stream, one of these little spiders, of a somewhat similar 

 kind, swimming. It was on the bank when I saw it first, and 

 deliberately put out into the stream when I went near, making 

 a circuit and returning to the bank lower down, a performance 

 it repeated each time I disturbed it. 



On the 13th we camped near the big fishing village, halting 

 earlier than usual, by special request of my leading porter, 

 that the men might have the amusement of bartering fish and 

 the advantage of additional rest. Swahilis dearly love fish ; 

 even when meat is plentiful they are always eager to get fish 

 too, if they can. Knowing their weakness, and also that they 

 could have little of their own to exchange for their favourite 

 delicacy, I gave Abdulla orders to buy all that was brought 

 with some spare beads 1 had among my own things, which I 

 had kept there as a reserve in case any might be needed on 

 the road, to save opening a load. In a very short time a big 

 heap of dried fish, besides a quantity of fresh, was accumulated ; 

 and as I afterwards went out and shot three oryx, meat enough 

 and to spare was added ; so altogether there was a feast for 

 all hands to rejoice the porter's heart — for he loves his "tumbu" 

 (stomach). Glad I was that they should revel in plenty while 

 they could, for I knew it would not always be so. Truth to 

 tell, I was not sorry to camp early myself that day, for I was 

 feeling very sore and stiff in my side and hardly able to keep 



