:86 



FliOM THE COAST TO KILIMANJAEO 



was slinking over a sterile sun-baked bit of ground, bordered 

 by a low thicket, into wliicli I peered as I went, thinking that 

 perchance I might find my wounded game, when I suddenly 

 heard a horrible snort close to me on the left, whilst at the 

 same moment past rushed a huge l)rownish black rhinoceros, 

 nearly frightening me out of my wits. This apparition so 

 startled me that I did not at first remember the gun in ni}" 

 hand ; but I soon jsent two shots after the fugitive, apparently 

 without result. The spell was broken now, however, and I 

 quickly followed the animal, which I could easily trace by the 

 deep footprints he had left. But these prints led into just 

 such a thicket as the one from which I had roused ni}^ game, 

 and I had not forgotten certain previous episodes of a similar 

 kind. Eemembering also that I had so far had no experi- 

 ence in dealing with rhinoceroses, I decided that it would be 

 best after all to make for the camp, wdiicli I accordingly did. 



On March 26 we were at last able to be off again, our 

 route being first eastwards, crossing a low saddle connecting 

 the main Pare chain with the Pare Kisingo mountains, then 

 northAvards along the base of the latter. . We camjDed for the 

 night in one of the eastern valleys of the Kisingo heights, the 

 last stage of the march havins" been made throuarh a down- 

 pour of i-ain which soaked us to the skin, and converted the 

 plain we were crossing into a lake with water an inch deep. 



The next morning we did not start till half-past nine, as we 

 were obliged to let the people cook their food first. We 

 should reach no water till the day after, the nearest being- 

 Lake Jipe, too far away for one march. We started in high 

 spirits, as wc expected to have our first view on this march of 

 the snow-clad peaks of Kilimanjaro, the view of which was 

 at first shut out b}" the heights filling in the valley between 

 the Kisingo and Kwa Mdiniu mountains. When these were 

 left behind there was nothing to impede our vision. The 



