86 FROM THE COAST TO KILIMANJARO 



was slinking over a sterile sun-baked bit of ground, bordered 

 by a low thicket, into which I peered as I went, thinking that 

 perchance I might find my wounded game, when I suddenly 

 heard a horrible snort close to me on the left, whilst at the 

 same moment past rushed a huge brownish black rhinoceros, 

 nearly frightening me out of my wits. This apparition so 

 startled me that I did not at first remember the gun in my 

 hand ; but I soon sent two shots after the fugitive, apparently 

 without result. The spell was broken now, however, and I 

 quickly followed the animal, which I could easily trace by the 

 deep footprints he had left. But these prints led into just 

 such a thicket as the one from which I had roused my game, 

 and I had not forgotten certain previous episodes of a similar 

 kind. Eemembering also that I had so far had no experi- 

 ence in dealing with rhinoceroses, I decided that it would be 

 best after all to make for the camp, which I accordingly did. 



On March 26 we were at last able to be off again, our 

 route being first eastwards, crossing a low saddle connecting 

 the main Pare chain with the Pare Kisingo mountains, then 

 northwards along the base of the latter. We camped for the 

 night in one of the eastern valleys of the Kisingo heights, the 

 last stage of the march having been made through a down- 

 pour of rain which soaked us to the skin, and converted the 

 plain we were crossing into a lake with water an inch deep. 



The next morning we did not start till half-past nine, as. we 

 were obliged to let the people cook their food first, We 

 should reach no water till the day after, the nearest being 

 Lake Jipe, too far away for one march. We started in high 

 spirits, as we expected to have our first view on this march of 

 the snow-clad peaks of Kilimanjaro, the view of which was 

 at first shut out by the heights filling in the valley between 

 the Kisingo and Kwa Mdimu mountains. When these were 

 left behind there was nothing to impede our vision. The 



