128 ALONG LAKE RUDOLF 



near tlieir settlement if we "wanted to buy them. They also 

 inquired wdiat our guns w^ere for, and Qualla fired one in the 

 air, at which thev flunsf themselves flat on the oTound in their 

 terror. 



Wednesday^ March 21. — To get out of the dust we shifted 

 our camp about two miles to the north-east. There was not a 

 scrap of shade there, but the sand was coarser and the ground 

 harder, so that w^e did not suffer so much from the wind. The 

 temperature in our tents was + 39° Centigrade. The Count 

 brought downi a rhinoceros and w^e heard lions roaring in the 

 nisfht, but w^e saw^ no sioii of the Elmolo. 



Thursday, March 22. — We marched about four miles along 

 the muddy shore and arrived unexpectedly at one of the 

 Elmolo settlements. The latter part of this short stage was 

 through a district rendered extremely interesting by the number 

 of elephants in it, several of wdiicli fell victims to our guns. 

 We came upon six females wdth five little ones of different 

 ages soon after w^e started. They were in a flat, open bit of 

 ground some 400 paces from the caravan, and were basking 

 happily in the sunshine, all unconscious of danger. The mothers 

 now spread out and now closed their big ears, caressed their 

 young, and suckled them ^ as the little creatures cuddled 

 beneath them. It w^as a charming scene of domestic life. 

 Perfect silence reigned around and w^e all remained as quiet as 

 possible. We refrained from shooting any of the animals on 

 account of the young ones, but at last we were obliged to think 

 of resuming our journey, and as the elephants w^ere right in 

 our w^ay we w^ere compelled to drive them off. A conspicuous 

 object from afar in his snow^- white shirt, Qualla advanced slowly 

 upon the group across the sandy plain, armed with a Henry- 

 Winchester rifle only. The herd soon showed signs of excite- 

 ment, flapping their great ears and uprearing their curved 



' The udders of the elephant are between the forelegs. 



