FROM THE SHARI TO THE UBANGUI 207 



relief we heard signal shots from Jose which guided us into 

 camp where we arrived at ten o'clock, exhausted with the 

 labours and excitement of the day. 



The next day a hot sun gave us an opportunity for drying 

 our wet things, and it was a comfort to sleep on a dry blanket 

 and to put on dry things once more. 



Meanwhile, the whole camp under Jose went out to cut 

 up the elephant and bring in the meat and tusks. The tusks 

 were good ones, the right measuring 5 ft. 8| in., and the 

 left 5 ft. 3f in., with circumferences of 17f in. and 17 J in. 



Our next camp was at the beautiful hippo pool which we 

 had missed on our way up. Here we shot two small hippos 

 in order to lay in a supply of cooking-fat. The river was now 

 rising fast, and many of the sand-banks that existed on our 

 journey up had disappeared. 



On August 25, owing to the increase of water, the Croco- 

 dile rapids presented a less formidable passage, and we 

 passed down the side channel without finding it necessary 

 to unload the boats, and by two o'clock had settled down 

 once more at Irena. 



We shifted our quarters from the poverty-stricken 

 little village of Irena to a large sand-bank on the opposite 

 side of the river, a situation which had several advantages, 

 for it dried up much sooner after the heavy rains, and its 

 more or less isolated position enabled us to keep a sharper 

 eye upon the " boys " who had therefore not so much chance 

 of getting up to mischief in the village. 



It was necessary to stay here several days before setting 

 out to ascend the Gribingi river to Fort Crampel, our next 

 objective, while Jose returned with one of the boats to Fort 



