IN SIGHT OF S1GLRARI 



129 



two giraffes. On such an open tract, however, he found it 

 impossible to come within range of these shy creatures, so he 

 presently gave them up to return to his rhinoceros, only to 

 swerve aside once more to shoot a water-buck, which, though 

 sorely wounded, got away. Pursuing it into the ever thickening 

 bush, the Count surprised three rhinoceroses, who broke through 

 the wood, snorting furiously ; a flying shot at one of them was 

 all he could achieve, and as it was now nearly dark he was 

 obliged to give up further hunting. 



According to our men, they often heard lions roaring when 

 we were asleep, so we determined to keep watch ourselves 

 to-night for the first time. One lion made the circuit of our 

 camp, for though it was too dark to see it, we could hear its 

 deep bass voice. We were unprotected by any hedge of bushes, 

 but the yelling of the natives was enough to make the king of 

 beasts keep his distance. 



On the next day, April 24, we crossed the Kikaso, and, 

 bearing westwards, came to the flat landscape between Mounts 

 Kilimanjaro and Meru. We were now in sight of the densely 

 populated Masai district of Sigirari, and we could make out the 

 herds of cattle, some of them numbering thousands, belonging 

 to the natives. In addition to these, an unusual number of wild 

 animals haunted the flat green steppe watered by the Engilata 

 river, fringed with dark-green trees. Ostriches, zebras, antelopes, 

 gazelles, and giraffes wandered about in regular herds so near 

 the cattle of the Masai that they looked as if they belonged to 

 them. There were plenty of rhinoceroses too, and Count 

 Teleki brought one down with a lucky shot at about 300 paces 

 from our track. Our men sprang upon the body with screams 

 of delight, and began at once to cut off the flesh with their 

 knives, each eager to secure a good portion of the fat of the 

 abdomen, which they consider the best part. 



Very soon, like a speck in the sky, scarce visible to the 

 VOL. i K 



