IV 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



147 



four days' marching to reach the Wamsara. We were 

 dehghted to find that in the neighbourhood of these 

 springs game was fairly plentiful, as this enabled us to 

 save our small store of grain-food for emergencies. On 

 the evening of the 2 2d we camped at the foot of 

 a high gneiss hill, called by Motio Chabba. At the 

 foot of this hill we found a spring of cool and delicious 

 water flowing, and near by sported large herds of zebra, 

 oryx beisa, and grantii. They stood within 100 yards of 

 of our camp, looking with curiosity at us, who prevented 

 them from getting to their accustomed watering-place. 



The cry of a zebra much resembles the short, sharp 

 bark of a dog ; and when excited, these animals invari- 

 ably give vent to this cry ere making off at top speed. 

 We always felt uncomfortable at having to shoot a 

 zebra, but when hungry men are to be fed, too nice 

 feelings have to be sacrificed. Zebras are so numerous 

 upon both banks of the Guaso Nyiro, that I feel sure, 

 should a party go there well equipped for the purpose, 

 it might in a few months succeed in capturing a large 

 number of these animals. They seem to be entirely 

 proof against the ill effects of fly-bite ; and the plague, 

 which had lately ravaged the country from Lake 

 Rudolph on the north to Kilimanjiro on the south, 

 although it had exterminated vast herds of buffalo, 

 and had even destroyed a large number of antelope, 

 had apparently left the zebra untouched. 



The greatest difliculty in connection with beasts of 

 burden in this portion of East Africa is, that they are 

 much too susceptible to the ill effects of the climate 

 and flies. Should zebras be substituted in the stead 

 of the animals at present used, these difficulties would 



