176 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAI\ 
especially for my Ndorobo youths, whom, in its absence, I was 
obliged to feed on our own store of grain, which we could ill 
spare. Though very tired, I could not sleep much that night 
for the mosquitoes. They came swarming up from stagnant 
swamps lower down the river, which breed them both numerous 
and powerful. I noticed flocks of vulturine guinea-fowl again 
here. 
The next morning we moved on again down the valley. I 
kept, purposely, somewhat ahead of my little party, on the look¬ 
out for game ; and soon, as I came over a rise overlooking one 
of the numerous little side valleys we had to cross, I caught 
sight of several Grevy’s zebra straggling slowly along through 
small patches of cover towards the river. Watching my 
opportunity when they were for the moment hidden from sight, 
I ran quickly down so as to cut them off, and got within range 
by the time the leading one came out into view again ; when, 
getting a good chance, I shot it, and after a short rush it came 
down in a cloud of dust. It was fat, and most useful as a 
meat supply ; for my Ndorobo boys were a tax on my com¬ 
missariat, the proportions of which were so exceedingly limited. 
After this, of course, I got easy chances at oryx and Grant’s 
gazelle, when I no longer needed them. Cutting up the meat 
delayed us an hour, and, being now so heavily laden, we 
camped again, early, beside the river ; for, as it was near us 
all the way, we could choose our time for halting. “ What a 
blessed thing,” I put down in my diary, “ a running stream 
is! ” During this day’s march we had seen some pretty 
recent elephant-dung on the game-path we had been following. 
This looked hopeful. 
So far there was little change in the character or direction 
of the valley. The Barasaloi was said to join but a short way 
ahead now. As to El Gereh, which I had always understood 
to be the name of the swamp in which the Seya ends, the 
guides assured me that we had already reached it, that name 
being applied by the Ndorobos to the whole of this swampy 
