5o 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAr. 
a good look at the country and gained information likely to be 
of use. I saw three giraffes with a small herd of zebras and a 
couple of rhinos during the day, but did not attempt to shoot 
anything (though one of the latter with a rather fine horn gave 
me a tempting chance), as it was far from camp and I did not 
want to be delayed by waiting for my men, who were in want 
of meat, to skin and cut up an animal. This was a long, hard 
day and I felt I must take a rest, as my feet were very 
painful in the night: so the following day I really did remain 
in camp. 
A great many of my Mthara friends came to my camp to 
make shauri (showery it is pronounced), as the Swahili call a 
palaver, corresponding to the South African “ indaba.” The 
shauri is a great institution in Central Africa, and I have known 
white men to develop quite a passion for shauri making; but 
for my own part I find them a bore, though one cannot escape 
them altogether. One of these, in this instance, was about an 
elephant (one wounded by me) which I had been informed had 
been found : but it turned out it was a mistake, arising from 
defective interpretation. I had to promise to go to the kraals 
the next day to call upon “ my father ” (that is the father of 
my new “ blood brother ”), whither the young men were to 
escort me. In the afternoon, as a relief to the monotony of a 
whole day in camp and partly to get away from these tedious 
“ shauris,” I strolled out to look for impala, as I knew there 
were some quite near and meat was wanted, and succeeded in 
shooting three. 
My visit to the kraals was not at all interesting. The 
huts are small, untidy, and dirty, as are the owners. I had an 
interview with a blind old man (my brother’s father) and was 
kept waiting a long time, while my relatives made their 
inevitable “ shauri,” but was eventually given a sheep and a 
promise of men to go with me to hunt under Kilimara, and 
allowed to go my way. 
As this escort was not to come till the day but one after, 
