Ill 
CAMPING AT MOUNT KEN I A 
77 
apparently because he had unwarily approached too near her 
calf. I sent at once for men to carry in the meat, while we 
cut off the horns. On a neck between two hills which we 
passed through before descending into the valley where my 
camp was, we disturbed yet another rhino ; and when close 
home, just before crossing the little spruit where we got our 
water, we came upon some impala and I shot a nice fat doe 
for my own larder. 
I was very tired and glad to take a rest the next day, 
being rather unwell owing to the troublesome itching eruption 
one gets when hunting in this country, which brings on touches 
of fever. But in spite of these drawbacks I was very fond of 
this camp, and was sorry to leave it. It was necessary, though, 
to take my ivory back to my boma at Laiju ; and before 
making another hunting trip I sent it off to the coast, in charge 
of my more ornamental than useful headman, as I had more 
men than I wanted here and was glad to reduce the monthly 
expenditure a little. I also took the opportunity of forwarding 
some specimens and despatching letters, the bearers of which 
were to return with my mail from Mombasa. By the time I 
got back to Laiju it was the second week in June, and I was 
not ready to start northwards in search of elephants again 
before the beginning of July. 
One thing that delayed me was the necessity of making a 
second journey to the neighbourhood of Janjai, to recover the 
tusks of the bull elephant I have referred to as having been 
wounded by me and afterwards found by the natives of the 
next district beyond. This was a quick trip made for the 
above purpose only. It was a somewhat hazardous under¬ 
taking, as the natives refused to give up the ivory and I could 
only muster thirty-six men to take with me. We found 
ourselves amongst a dense and, unfortunately, unfriendly 
population, and spent a rather anxious night in the midst of 
them, camped in a small open space among banana groves and 
other cover without any boma to protect us. In spite of our 
