CHAPTER V 
NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 
Ndorobo elephant-hunter—His weapons—Mode of hunting—My next success—The 
spell broken—An early start—A simple repast—Tracking elephants—The hunt 
—A promise fulfilled—Cross the Seya River—A fall-trap—A gigantic beast— 
My attendants—Food of elephants—Their appearance at close quarters—An 
infuriated bull—Incredulous guides—A novel charm—Return to coast—The 
Gwaso Nyiro River—Welcome at Laiju. 
On getting back to my camp there, I was warmly welcomed 
by my Ndorobo friends, who told me (of course) that there 
had been no end of elephants in the neighbourhood during my 
absence, and (which was more to the point) that some still 
frequented the extensive jungle between there and the Seya 
River. I was very sorry, though, to hear of the death, while I 
was away, of one of the Ndorobo elephant-hunters whom I 
had got to know well. He came by it in this wise. He had 
gone out after some elephants ; and, getting near them, had 
prepared for action by fixing a dart into the handle of his 
harpoon. I should explain though, first, that, when after 
elephants, an Ndorobo hunter carries a wooden harpoon handle 
(fairly heavy) and a large quiver containing a number of darts 
with iron heads as sharp as razors, the shafts of which fit into 
the handle. The darts are smeared with the deadly poison 
they obtain from a particular wood which grows in the 
mountains, and each is carefully wrapped up in a thin strip of 
skin prepared for the purpose. On getting near the game he 
takes out two of these darts, removes the skin wrapping, and, 
