292 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CH. XIII 
wilderness we had been able to travel quietly and comfortably 
without any hardships or privations worth speaking of. Hard 
work we had had some of among the hills and rocks and 
stones of the south end of the lake, but no insurmountable 
obstacles nor serious accidents. Above all, the lake had 
always been near to give us water and guide us on our way 
without risk of thirst. Everything had seemed in our favour, 
and happened most propitiously for our journey. 
We were now close to the extreme northern end of the 
lake, and the shore we were following was in reality that 
of its most easterly inlet running in that direction. As we 
proceeded on the following morning (28th December) along 
the extensive low flats studded with “ suaki ” bushes, which at 
this point border the lake, the part of the latter we were 
skirting assumed almost the character of a mangrove swamp. 
The shallow water is thickly filled with bush extending far 
out ; indeed, from the low bank, except a lane here and there, 
little open water can be seen, and it appears as if the whole 
width of the gulf were of this nature. 
I soon noticed quite fresh elephant spoor along the path 
we were now following, and some distance ahead a flock of 
white egrets attracted my attention, hovering about one spot 
at the edge of the marsh and anon settling, apparently on the 
bushes. On getting nearer I made out a herd of elephants 
just outside of this swamp bush. I stopped the “ safari ” and 
went towards them with only my gun-bearers. There might 
be thirty of them : I could not see them all at once. They 
were moving slowly along, feeding here and there as they went, 
accompanied by the white egrets, which perched on their backs 
and heads and bespattered them with white splashes, the pure 
white plumage of the birds contrasting picturesquely with the 
dark bodies of their great hosts, who seemed to have no 
objection to their attentions. Why, then, I wondered, do the 
tick birds never haunt elephants as they constantly do rhinos 
and other animals ? I have always supposed that elephants 
