294 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
resent such liberties, and, being provided with far-reaching 
trunks, are able to make it unsafe even for such active and 
persevering little hunters, to get rid of whom the tormented 
donkey rolls in vain. Whether or not elephants harbour the 
right sort of parasites to suit the taste of these little birds I 
cannot say ; but the egrets appear to accompany animals, not 
for anything to be found on their persons, but for the sake of 
the insects disturbed by their feet as they move about. 
By the time I got near them the elephants were entering 
the swamp, some already in the mud and water, which—full 
of pits from their feet—was impassable for us. A few stood 
still on the edge, and I might have reached them and shot 
probably one ; but I thought it better to leave them alone, as, 
though I might kill one, I should disturb the herd and could 
not follow it, while interfering with my chance for the morrow. 
So I satisfied myself with feasting my eyes on the spectacle, 
standing on an ant-heap glasses in hand. It was a grand sight! 
There were some good tuskers among them, though, owing to 
their being turned away from me and already among the 
bushes, I could not get a view of the ivory of most, but the 
massive size of those I could see showed them to be bulls. 
One, a fine young male with beautiful white, symmetrical teeth 
of perhaps 6o lbs. apiece—egrets sitting on his back,—stood 
picking a mouthful or two of leaves off a shrub outside after 
the others had entered the water. They slowly plodded, with 
much splashing, through the deep mud, and disappeared into 
the mangrove-like swamp. The wind, and everything except 
the mud, had been favourable for shooting, and I was filled 
with hopes of success for my hunting in this region. 
I returned to the caravan and we continued our march to 
Bumi, the next little settlement ; which consists, like Reshiat, of 
a few kraals scattered at intervals along the lake. A continuous 
narrow strip of cultivation runs along the shore. The people 
of both these little districts live from hand to mouth, beginning 
to eat the green millet as soon as the grain is formed ; so that, 
