82 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



Shortly after leaving Hameye, the topography of 

 the country underwent a distinct change. From the 

 coast thus far the road had been almost level ; but 

 from this point onward it was marked with dried 

 watercourses and ridges covered with broken quartz 

 and gneiss. Although our feet suffered somewhat 

 from the change, it was a great relief to encounter 

 hills, however disagreeable their ascent, after having 

 marched for weeks over a monotonous plain. 



Two days from Hameye we saw our first herd of 

 game. In a small valley, I saw at one time zebra, oryx 

 beisa, walleri, and rhinoceros. They got our scent, how- 

 ever, and made off at top speed; so I did not halt the 

 caravan to give chase. Some of the hills of this portion 

 of the country are from 400 to 500 feet high, and it was 

 impossible to ride, as the acacias became too thick, and 

 stones in too great plenty. At this point the Tana 

 loses its almost majestic appearance, and becomes a 

 brawling trout stream. It is but 125 yards wide, and 

 its course is broken with many stones and rocks. 



On the plain, one day, we passed an old native zeriba. 

 There must at one time have been 400 or 500 people in 

 it, and that less than a year before the time we saw it. 

 On the same day, Mohamadi, whom I had taken with 

 me, as I felt I could not trust him at Hameye, reported 

 that he saw ten elephants on a hill half a mile away ; 

 but as he neglected to make this report until after we 

 reached camp in the evening, I did not go in search of 

 them. i 



Every few miles the Tana changed in appearance. 

 Now the rapids were at an end, and the river flowed 

 sedately through narrow valleys and rocky hills. The 



