XIII 
A SOJOURN AT RES HI AT AND KERB 
295 
though they keep on planting crop after crop as each is reaped, 
not only have they none to spare for sale, but they are them¬ 
selves often in straits for food ; for the area under cultivation 
is so small that the produce of one crop is finished long before 
the next is fit to eat. The inhabitants of Bumi belong to a 
totally different tribe from those of Reshiat, and speak a 
different language. Their tribal name is El Gume (akin to the 
Suk), and they are, I gathered, immigrants from west of Bassu. 
They own little live stock—a few goats only—but snare game, 
while their next-door neighbours of Reshiat have no skill in 
hunting or trapping in any shape or form. The latter are 
mainly pastoral by nature, though now their cattle are but few ; 
and, like all pastoral tribes, they are a good-looking, well set-up 
race, both men and women mostly very tall though of slender 
build. The El Gume are far inferior in these respects. 
I camped near one of their kraals a little distance back 
from the lake, where I had found a small tree with creepers 
over it to give me a little shade. The heat here is tremendous, 
as great as on the coast, and it is generally rather a relief 
when the fiery sun disappears ; but no sooner was it down 
than the, air became thick with mosquitoes, simply in millions, 
and I had to finish my dinner in great discomfort. I had a 
smoky fire lighted just behind my tent, so that the wind blew 
the smoke in ; this helped a little, and, though half choked, I 
managed thus to hold friendly converse with the owners of the 
kraal. But I was soon glad to take refuge under my mosquito- 
net ; and, in spite of a few of these assiduous insects that 
found their way in with me, should have slept tolerably well 
had it not been for the row the poor men were making all 
night, who could get no rest, and spent most of the time walk¬ 
ing about flapping themselves with cloths. 
As soon as light enough to see, I started to hunt the 
elephants we had passed on our way here the day before. We 
soon found fresh spoor ; then warm dung ; then heard a great 
splashing and saw one in the water, and, just after, sighted the 
