58 
THROUGH SOMALILAND AND ABYSSLNIA ch. hi 
nearly half an hour, and a very pretty sight it was ; the herd 
numbered about sixty, and seemed to be made up entirely of 
cows and young calves. Hitherto they had been browsing 
comfortably and had seemed quite at home, as if the forest 
belonged to them ; now, however, they slowly but surely began 
to prepare to move off the ground. Whether they had discovered 
us, or were merely contemplating a change of quarters, was 
not quite clear. In a short time a line began to be formed, 
and they filed away in full vieAv, travelling down wind, so that 
we did not quite know, since we could see no bull, what was 
the next thing to be done. They were moving at a steady 
walk, and we amused ourselves counting them and examining 
each individual, as I did not wish to shoot cows. I regretted 
much not having the means to photograph them as they solemnly 
went by without fuss or noise, treading carefully, each small 
calf hurrying along under its great mother’s liind-legs. All the 
cows above medium size seemed to have tusks. 
Whilst I stood admiring the herd disappearing among the 
trees like a dissolving view, I was reminded by the bloodthirsty 
Hussein that we had come to destroy elephants, and not to 
stare at them, so, the temptation being too much for me, 
we took up their tracks through the heavy timber, with bad 
aloe undergrowth, the crash, as an elephant now and then play- 
fully broke a tree ahead of us, being carried to our ears. Once 
we followed too close, for a prolonged crash in our direction told 
that an old cow was investigating the taint in the air. We, of 
course, gave her plenty of room, as I wanted to have another 
look for a bull before advancing to the attack, and when all 
was quiet we resumed our tracking. The jungle was very fine, 
so that while we were following the elephants we were generally 
in the shade. We found the small Sakciro antelopes very 
numerous, standing behind the aloes to gaze at us and then 
darting off with their whistling alarm-note. Sometimes we 
came on several tortoises, some of their shells measuring quite 
two feet long and a foot wide. They seemed to live in small 
families of four or five, and are very common in the aloe jungles. 
At last, after a walk of little more than a mile, we again 
sighted the elephants standing at the edge of the forest belt, 
crowded together in three large groups, looking uncommonly 
suspicious. Some high ground overlooked the jungle, and 
circling round as far as possible under cover, we reached a 
position very open and exposed, but otherwise good, being 
