XI 
FROM EL BOGOI TO LAKE RUDOLPH 
249 
porters were always my first consideration when travelling, and 
I was well satisfied to take a bit of whatever I found it most 
advantageous to shoot for their benefit. 
Strolling through the green bush bordering the stream in 
the afternoon, accompanied only by Pice, a short way only 
from camp, I saw a rhinoceros cow with a calf. But as, with 
the few men I had, we could not carry more meat, I left her 
alone. When on my way back, Pice, as was his wont, ran 
under a shady tree just ahead ; and before I knew anything 
about it, out charged the rhino with the calf after him. The 
dog made straight for me (I was only a few yards off), pursued 
by the irate cow whose siesta he had disturbed, and I had to 
bang off my rifle hurriedly in her face to turn her, which it 
fortunately did. Lions roared during the night, and mosquitoes 
made almost as much, and a more disagreeable, noise. 
In the morning we had but a short march to the other 
branch of the Barasaloi, called the Suya ; and it is remarkable 
that whereas on my previous journey, the year before, the 
Barasaloi was dry—not a sign of moisture to be found even by 
digging,—while this spruit had plenty of water, now the former 
was running strong all over its sandy bed, but here there was 
much less water than there had been then, and in the afternoon 
it almost ceased to flow. This is an illustration of how very 
partial and uncertain the rains are in this country, and shows 
how dangerous it is to calculate on finding water even a short 
way ahead (though you may have got plenty there formerly) 
because there happens to be no scarcity in one part. 
I stayed over another day here in order to have a look 
down the valley in case there might be any elephants about, 
and took advantage of the delay to send a couple of men ahead 
to hide a bucket of water some four hours’ march along the 
route we should have to pass (the next being a very long stage), 
so that the men might have a good drink, in addition to what 
they could carry themselves, on our road to Ongata Barta. I 
found nothing but old spoor, proving there were no elephants 
