140 ALONG LAKE RUDOLF 



The natives made an excellent impression on us on the 

 whole ; they were neither importunate nor shy, but squatted 

 quietly down at once, ready for a sliauri, which was conducted 

 in Masai style ; that is to say, one speaker stood up and held 

 forth with his spear or some other object in his hand. The 

 direction of different places was very cleverly indicated by 

 pointing with the tongue. A Burkeneji woman interpreted, 

 and made us understand that the Elmolo would take us in ten 

 canoes to the Eeshiat if we would wait a couple of days longer. 

 They were going to their relatives to buy grain, but first they 

 must catch a lot of fish. We promised to wait one day, but 

 we could not remain longer, as the elephant-meat W'Ould be 

 finished, and we were besides suffering so dreadfully from the 

 dust. After the shauri the natives looked round the camp and 

 then went away. The same da}^ Qualla bought two elephant 

 tusks, each weighing over 100 lb., for a ridiculous price, and 

 also a little coffee in the husk, but he could get no more durrha, 

 the Elmolo having apparently let us have all they had the day 

 before. 



Alia : Monday, March 26. — The natives sent us word that 

 on account of a death they could not follow us till the next 

 day. So we remained where we were for another day, and, in 

 default of other sport, amused ourselves with shooting guinea- 

 fowl. In the afternoon 1 for a long time, with the help of my 

 field-glass, watched a little herd of animals which, from their 

 size and colour, 1 took to be wild asses. As we had not met 

 wdth any before, I was at some pains to get near enough to 

 examine them carefully, but in the end 1 found they were only 

 zebra Grevyi with narrow stripes. Seen with the naked eye at 

 a distance of some 300 paces they appeared to be of a uniform 

 grey colour. Every evening just before sunset we noticed the 

 sudden appearance of an immense number of birds of about 

 the size of a turtle-dove which flew backwards and forwards in 



