ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
318 
to the neighbourhood of Murli; but instead of going right on 
to the villages, we halted at a charming camping-place I found 
under fine shady trees by the river-bank about half an hour 
short of the settlement, and rested there about 2.30. These 
grateful groves of tall, dark-foliaged trees, which fringe at in¬ 
tervals the river-banks, form a refreshing contrast, pleasant to 
the eyes, to the thirsty-looking stunted scrub with which the 
greater part of this arid country is covered. They are fre¬ 
quented by the beautiful colobus monkey, whose cry may often 
be heard in them, though the animals themselves keep out of 
sight in the leafy tree-tops. Then going on again we bivouacked 
at sundown on the open ridges half-way between Murli and 
Bumi. I found plenty of mosquitoes even so far from the lake, 
and had to get up in the night and pitch my net; but there 
were not enough to trouble my men much. 
The next morning we went on down towards the lake 
and formed camp under a tree about half an hour’s walk 
short of its nearest point. I then sent on to Bumi for my 
two native friends. On arriving they said there was a large 
herd on the edge of the lake near here, but that it was now in 
the dense bush which stretches from the other side of this bay 
towards a place called Murthu, near the mouth of the river. 
They came prepared to sleep in my camp, ready for hunting 
on the morrow. In the afternoon I went out and shot a “ topi ” 
for meat, not far from camp. There were great numbers of 
them about. 
This was 10th January. Just before the entry for that day 
I find the following note in my diary :—“ Up to this I wrote 
regularly in my diary each day the doings of the day before. 
Meeting with a serious accident on the 11th, I was unable to 
keep on this practice for the time : nor did I feel certain whether 
I should ever be able to pick up the thread again, not knowing 
how my illness might end. I therefore kept count of the days 
and events on note-paper in pencil only, and it was not until 
27th January that I felt able once more to open this book ; be- 
