Great and Small Game of Africa 



In British East Africa 



Known by two names amongst the Swahilis— Nyati and Mbogo, the latter 

 being most in use amongst the Zanzibaris, whilst the people of 

 Mombasa, Melindi, and Lamu know it by the former name. 

 Amongst the Masai the buffalo is known as Lasmman, and by the 

 Wanderobbo living in the forests of Mau as Lasoit. 



The buffalo is now one of the rarest beasts in East Africa. Up 

 to the end of 1889 and the beginning of 1890 it was exceedingly 

 plentiful in that region, and was found nearly everywhere throughout 

 the country where there was good grass and water. On the coast it 

 was found in large herds quite close to the sea on the mainland near 

 Lamu ; on both banks of the River Tana ; at Merereni near Mambrui ; 

 and even within three or four hours' walk of Mombasa, at the back of 

 Freretown, there were a fair number. Its real stronghold, however, was 

 undoubtedly the Masai country. Here, with perhaps the exception of 

 the zebra and hartebeest, it was the most common of all the big game. 

 From the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro to Lake Baringo it was practi- 

 cally unmolested by the natives, and was so abundant that scarcely a day 

 passed without the hunter coming across one or more of them. In the 

 northern part of Masailand, between Lakes Elmeteita and Baringo, they 

 were found in quite extraordinary numbers, and were to be seen out in 

 the open plains even at mid-day and far away from covert of any kind. 

 In one day's march of about 1 5 miles, I once saw six large herds, one 

 of which had to be driven off to allow the caravan to pass. 



It was close to this point where Count Teleki, from a camp on the 

 Guaso Niyuki, killed fifty-four of these beasts between 20th December 

 1887 and February 1888. 



