VIII 



TRAVELS m EASTERN AFRICA 



359 



cautiously up to the beast, and drive a spear into its 

 loin. A quick twist separates the spear from the 

 arrow, and they make off as fast and silently as pos- 

 sible. In all cases the arrows are poisoned ; and if 

 they are well introduced into the animal's body, the 

 elephant does not go far. The Wanderobbo are 

 'much afraid of elephants ; but, despite this fact, hun- 

 ger drives them to approach within striking distance 

 of these animals, and their lives depend upon the 

 agility and silence of their retreat after striking. I 

 had in all about thirty guides accompanying me, 

 each bearing in his hand a torch. The torch was 

 for the purpose of taking the chill off the air, and 

 warming their bodies. They were clad in short 

 cloaks similar to those worn by the warriors on the 

 Jombeni range ; and excepting this cloak and their 

 sandals, they were naked. 



I took five of my men, and set out with the 

 guides towards Loroghi. Our path lay among stunted 

 thorn bushes ; and as it was lighted by only the 

 torches of the Wanderobbo guides and the stars, 

 progress was extremely slow. Just at sunrise we 

 reached a delightful spring, where I halted, and sent 

 back two of my men to the people I had left at the 

 Wanderobbo village, with instructions for them to 

 come on to this point and make camp. Having done 

 this, we continued the march for three hours more. 

 My guides were perfectly silent ; and, spurred on by 

 hunger, their patience appeared to be put to extreme 

 tension by the slow, steady rate at which I ad- 

 vanced. At length we reached a small gneiss hill, 

 which I climbed, and from its top scanned the sur- 



