126 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
my men could pass safely through the district, the guns and 
other trifles that had been taken from the murdered men were 
returned, and the “ elders ” sued for peace. I have already 
described this land of plenty. It was, at the time of this visit, 
being devastated by locusts ; but so prolific is the soil that 
famine seems almost impossible. Every few months fresh 
crops of grain and beans ripen, while bananas, yams, and sweet 
potatoes are always in season. It is worth noticing that in 
districts where bananas are the staple food, the inhabitants do 
not depend on the ripe fruit, but cook the green bananas, either 
by steaming or roasting in the fire. No doubt coffee would 
flourish, too, in these fertile hills, though the natives have none 
there. This hill district is only of small extent; a man can 
walk through the whole extent of it, from Laiju on the one 
side to Mthara on the other, between sunrise and sunset. 
I will not give a detailed account of this excursion, but, as 
we visited some country I had not before reached, a few 
remarks may not be altogether uninteresting. 
We stayed a few days at what I called my “ ivory camp ” 
(the one under the wide-spreading tree). It was now made 
less comfortable by swarms of caterpillars, which dropped upon 
us with painfully irritating effect upon our skins. Dr. Kolb, 
especially, suffered much from this cause, being, as a newcomer, 
more susceptible to the poison than myself. Here I had the 
honour of introducing my companion to my esteemed brother 
Ndaminuki, and to the rhino, an animal whose acquaintance he 
had not yet made. He had shot hippos in the Tana, but felt 
rather desponding about his chances of bagging a “ faro ” 
(Swahili for rhino). However, I promised him he should have 
that satisfaction, and my pledge was fulfilled the first time he 
went out with me. After that he shot many. He was, I 
believe, a first-rate shot, though somewhat hampered in the 
bush by the necessity of wearing spectacles. 
We spent our Christmas at the foot of Kenia, in sight, at 
all events, of snow, and had frequent splendid views of the 
