266 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
rather soon on all but the very keenest. No one who 
has seen that splendid sportsman, Mr. Jackson, stalk¬ 
ing, or has known of what wonderful feats he has 
been capable, such as getting to within 30 yards of a 
Coke’s hartebeeste on the plain, can doubt that skill, 
not to say endurance, of a very high order indeed is 
required. 
Eland are both common nowadays and well distri¬ 
buted throughout the Highlands, though in 1909-10 
there was a rather large mortality from gastro-enteritis, 
more especially towards the German border. They 
are numerous in both Game Reserves, on the Yatta 
plains, the Serengati plains, the Ithanga hills, all along 
the Tana and round Baringo. Old bulls are naturally 
less plentiful than a few years back ; the Serengati 
plains probably alone hold big bulls in any large 
quantity. Eland run small in the Protectorate, com¬ 
paratively speaking. A fine old bull in good condi¬ 
tion might weigh 1,600 lb. In South Africa he would 
weigh 2,000 lb. A fair bull would have 25-inch horns. 
Anything over 27 inches would be very good. The 
oldest bulls have more massive but shorter horns, 
since in old age the points are almost invariably 
shortened by rubbing. An attempt has been made to 
establish a sub-species {pattersonii) of the northern 
individuals. Such subdivision is very far-fetched. 
Eland are migratory, and, in fact, always changing 
their ground. Thus, although, as I have said, they 
are very common, I know of no farm where a herd is 
domiciled. If news of eland is brought in one evening, 
their whereabouts on the morrow is quite uncertain ; 
it is, however, certain that it will be many miles 
distant. Settlers have always looked with a kindly 
eye on the eland, the Rift Valley farmers, a most 
