A TAME STARLING 



15 



in the afternoon, and brought down a few birds. We were 

 pretty sure to secure half a dozen guinea-fowls at least. The 

 districts round about Nyemps were peculiarly rich in birds, 

 chiefly belonging to the gallinaceous and columbidse species, 

 but there were also a few examples of varieties with beautiful 

 plumage. Wonderfully tame were a steel-green starling and a 

 lovely little creature about the size of the wren, with turquoise- 

 blue and mouse-grey plumage, which would hop about under 

 our table when we were at dinner to pick up the scraps we 

 dropped or which Hamis the ape, regardless of the famine in 

 the land, recklessly threw to them. 



Now and then big game would also come close to us, and 

 on one occasion I shot a cow buffalo in the spine. She fell to 

 the ground and whirled round and round, but was unable to 

 get up again. 



On December 14 we came to the end of our stock of dried 

 meat, but were still without news of Maktubu. Count Teleki, 

 therefore, decided to go back to the lukewarm brook, 

 mentioned above, as it would be easier there to get game for 

 the men. So we started the same day with the greater part of 

 the caravan, and set to work hunting at once, bringing down 

 three water-bucks and one kaama antelope. A wounded 

 zebra got off after having lain on the ground for ten 

 minutes, and one of the wounded water-bucks, in spite of its 

 own desperate case, yet seemed to feel for the sufferings of 

 the zebra. 



In the afternoon a letter from Nyemps informed us that 

 Maktubu had returned, bringing only four days' rations of 

 dhurra. He had in the course of twenty-two days scoured a 

 wide circuit, meeting everywhere with hungry natives. It was 

 evident there was no hope of getting the amount of food we 

 needed here, so we went back to the camp at once to hold a 

 shauri, at which we decided to send all the men we could 



