CHAPTER XVIII 



EL BOGOI TO MOMBASA 



A mountain excursion — A troublesome lion — My gun-bearer's tragic end — Three- 

 horned giraffe — Grevy's zebra — Varieties of orj'x — Suggestion for British 

 Museum — Equatorial elephants : their size, tusks, and peculiarity — Dimensions 

 of rhinoceros and zebra — Ndorobo conception of the Deity — A native's expecta- 

 tion — Description of country — Parting with Ndorobos — Skittish pack-animals — 

 A compulsory action — Ikutha — Wakamba raiders — Wasanya hunting weapons 

 — A long march — Entering Mombasa — A picturesque procession — Payment of 

 carriers — Valedictory retrospect. 



I HAVE not much more that can interest to relate of this 

 journey. My hand had gradually healed ; so that, though the 

 fingers were still stiff and interfered somewhat with my 

 command of the trigger, I could shoot once more, if not quite 

 up to my previous form. The return of the mail men made it 

 possible, now that the lions were disposed of, for me to make 

 another excursion, to fill up the interval before the return of 

 the caravan from Ukambani should allow of our making a final 

 start for the coast. The second visit which I now made to the 

 western side of the Lorogis, the main purpose of which was to 

 procure some specimens, with the chance also of obtaining a 

 little more ivory, was even more fruitless than the former one, 

 and need not be further alluded to were it not for a calamity 

 which overtook us there, in the loss of my gun-bearer Squareface. 

 Baithai, with another Ndorobo, accompanied me. He unfor- 

 tunately took us somewhat out of our way on the second 

 morning, after sleeping in the mountain forest on the summit 



