TI-IE COUNT SHOOTS THREE RHINOCEROSES 



267 



escaped scot free in the matter, except tliat we sacrificed one 

 rocket, which the traders got us to let off in the evening. With 

 a loud petition from the assembled crowd for the utter con- 

 fusion and destruction of the thief and all his cattle the rocket 

 sped heavenward and broke in a grand shower of fire in the 

 direction of the Masai kraal, but nothing whatever came of it. 



The ivory traders make it an invariable rule to keep friends 

 with the Masai, even when doing so ruins their own under- 

 takings. They are induced to act thus partly from fear, and 

 partly because but for the friendly co-operation of the Masai 

 they could not hope to discover the whereabouts of the 

 Wandorobbo, from whom they buy tlieii- ivory. 



The beginning of the next march was across a district of 

 very much the same character as before : undulating ground 

 sloping towards the west and fairly sprinkled with acacias, but 

 with little grass. On the east the di'eary Mavarasha hills rose 

 to a height of about 6,400 feet, whilst in the noitli the view was 

 shut in by the blue-grey wall of the Turuka plateau. As we 

 advanced the district became more and more undulating, the 

 trees rarer, till at last they disappeared altogether, whilst the 

 grass became more and more luxuriant. In the last hour's 

 march we rounded an isolated hill some 1,000 feet high, called 

 the Doenye Lomeiboti, camping after four hours' tramp by the 

 banks of the little Besil stream, at the southern base of the 

 . comparatively low Doenye Mellevo. 



As the advance-guard of the caravan approached the 

 camping-place, three rhinoceroses came in sight, lying together 

 on the sandy slope of the mountain, so Count Teleki went ofi 

 to hunt them, leaving the men to go on alone. As there was 

 no cover whatever he had to fire at long range ; but after they 

 had escaped several times he finally brought them down. 

 - He did not rejoin the main body of the expedition, but con- 

 tinued to wander about alone, and presently I saw the porters 



