Ill 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



97 



the line of charge of the beast. Karscho, unarmed and 

 motionless, now became the goal of the rhinoceros. I 

 was unable to assist him, and looking over my shoulder 

 I every moment expected to see him gored. My cara- 

 van was 300 yards in the rear, and behind the crest of 

 a small hill. As the rhinoceros approached Karscho, 

 he prepared for a spring, and, just as it was upon him, 

 he leaped with great agility to one side; and just in 

 time, for the nose of the animal (luckily not his horn) 

 struck him a sharp blow on the elbow and knocked him 

 to the ground. Satisfied with this little diversion, the 

 rhinoceros passed on. I felt very thankful for this 

 escape, and its teachings were very useful ; for from 

 that time I always examined my rifles before I left camp 

 in the morning, to see whether or not they were loaded. 

 The carelessness of even the best of these natives is 

 proverbial ; so in East Africa it is necessary to keep 

 a supervising eye on the smallest detail entrusted to 

 native hands. 



The other charge was less exciting. My caravan was 

 drawn out into a long, straggling line, marching through 

 the open, when a female rhinoceros with a young one at 

 her heels dashed toward the caravan at right angles to 

 our line of march. The men in the forward part of the 

 caravan rushed forward, and those in the rear dropped 

 behind ; thus making an opening, through which the 

 mother and her interesting child dashed harmlessly. 



As before stated, our camp was pitched in the neigh- 

 bourhood of a small hill, which Lieutenant von Hohnel 

 and I climbed, and from its top surveyed the surround- 

 ing country. To the westward rose mountains, their 

 tops covered here and there with thick forests. Between 



