THE WEBBI SHEBEYLI 
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print of the foot, which had four toes, measured inches 
long by 2 inches broad. 
After fetching down some nuts from the palm-trees, 
which turned out to be as hard as bricks, and photographing 
the river, I wended my way through a beautiful little 
forest of palms, and then went through another almost 
impenetrable thicket of trees, creepers, and undergrowth, 
under which we were often obliged to crawl on our hands 
and knees. Coming to more open ground, I disturbed a 
small herd of water-buck, and was lucky enough to get in 
a shot at the old male, bringing him down with a crash. 
He had a long shaggy coat and fine horns. 
The next day I sent men all along the top of the gorge, 
to look for a pass down which we might take the camels, in 
order to cross the river. Others I sent in difierent direc- 
tions to look for elephants, and collect birds and butterflies. 
I went out myself in front of the men along the top of the 
nullah. It turned out to be a very hot day, the temperature 
at noon reaching 117° Fahrenheit. From the top of a 
small hill we spied a rhinoceros slowly walking along. 
We descended, and found him still on the move. It 
was very difficult to keep pace with him on the rocky 
ground, as if one advanced too quickly the noise made 
would be sure to scare oflP the game. At length he stopped 
to feed where the bush was very thick. As I could see but 
his head and neck, I crawled within a few yards of him, 
and took aim at his neck ; but my rifle shot high, and I 
suppose the bullet went over it, for he went off snorting 
loudly, like a steam-engine, and raising clouds of dust as he 
rumbled over the stones. We found no blood, yet I could 
hardly believe I had missed the huge brute at such dread- 
fully close quarters. 
I found rhinoceros-shooting very exciting and dangerous 
work. After the shot you never knew in which direction 
he would make his headlong charge to get away ; and as 
his sight is always extremely bad, he was just as likely to 
make straight for you as in the opposite direction. He is 
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