The Cape Buffalo 1 1 3 



The banks of the Turkwel River, which rises in Mount Elgon and 

 flows east to Ngoboto, were another stronghold where they were very 

 plentiful in large herds. Again, on the Mau plateau they were also 

 abundant, and were to be seen in dense black masses out on the open 

 grassy downs at all hours of the day. In fact they were so plentiful in 

 many places that, like the zebra and hartebeest, they often proved an 

 annoyance and hindrance to the sportsman when after other and rarer 

 game. 



On the coast they were confined to the thick bush, and only came 

 out into the open to feed late in the evening just before sunset, and 

 returned again at daybreak or shortly after, and it was no doubt owing 

 to constantly forcing their way through the bush, and also to the higher 

 temperature and moist atmosphere that they had a totally different appear- 

 ance from those found farther inland at higher and much colder altitudes. 



The buffaloes of the coast were almost hairless and of a dull lead-colour, 

 whilst those in the Masai country were well covered with hair and quite 

 black. 



I remember one old solitary bull I shot at Merereni was so hairless 

 that on first catching sight of it I mistook it for a rhinoceros. On another 

 occasion, when on my way down from Uganda in 1890, I made a far 

 worse mistake and thereby lost a grand trophy, as I again mistook an old 

 single bull buffalo, standing out in the open plains, for a rhinoceros, and as 

 meat was badly wanted for the caravan, and both Dr. Mackinnon and 

 myself were unwell and did not feel quite equal to going after it, I sent 

 one of the headmen, who not only killed it but afterwards brought in the 

 finest head I have ever seen, with a spread of 44 inches inside measure- 

 ment, very thick and massive. The beast was covered from head to foot 

 with a thick layer of dry mud, which gave it at a distance the exact 

 appearance of a rhinoceros. This head is, I believe, still in the possession 

 of Sir Francis de Winton. 



