114 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



The severe marching of the preceding two days had 

 told upon my caravan, and I was often forced to halt 

 in order to allow the stragglers to catch up. On the 

 march I saw five rhinoceroses, two of which were very 

 white in colour, and at first both Lieutenant von Hohnel 

 and I took them for a new species ; but closer inspec- 

 tion disclosed the fact that they had wallowed in white 



Dhum Palm and Acacia 



clay ; hence their odd appearance. I knocked over a 

 fine young male oryx, and we stopped for a few mo- 

 ments to cut up the meat. The men, who by this time 

 had finished every drop of their water, attempted to 

 quench their thirst by chewing bits of the raw meat. 



From now on, the plain descended visibly to the 

 northward, and keen eyes might detect the tops of 

 palm trees. At sight of these the men seemed to 



