The Taita Plains and Lake Jipe. 343 
Henceforth the country became more open than 
it had been hitherto, yet there was still enough of 
woods and thorny jungles to prove sufficiently annoy- 
ing, necessitating as they did a very sinuous course, 
obscuring the scenery, and tearing our clothes. 
In the course of the afternoon the zebra was met 
with in small numbers, and ere long we came to a 
halt before a full-grown rhinoceros, which was quietly 
grazing, as though unaware of our presence, at a 
distance from us of not more than thirty yards. Tofiki 
was anxious for sport, and some of the other men 
pretended to be very desirous of trying their hands 
at rhinoceros killing. They saw only a mountain of 
meat before them, and did not remember that they 
had no water in which to cook it. Neither did they 
consider that they were not in a condition to add to 
their loads, to say nothing of the toil of a chase, or 
the inconvenience of another half-day s delay, before 
we should reach Jipe. I was strongly tempted to 
try the effect of a rifle ball planted behind the 
shoulder of the splendid brute, but I had my doubts 
as to whether I ought to risk anything for the mere 
gratification of bringing the monster to the earth, and 
I declined the sport. Most of the men, I thought, 
were rather pleased than otherwise, but Tofiki was 
^i^gi'y» though he controlled his feelings. The 
immense creature leisurely crossed our path to the 
north, allowing us to watch all his movements with 
the greatest composure. Abashora expressed the 
opinion that this sang froid was only an indication 
that the beast meant war, provided he should be 
attacked, but I question whether he saw us. We 
left him quietly grazing at a very short distance on 
