376 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
but it did not matter, as there was no occasion to hunt. While 
resting during the march, I was interested in watching a tiny 
gray spider with black stripes—one of the jumping kind— 
pounce upon a big yellow ant, and kill it in no time by biting 
its waist while sticking to its back. I knocked it off twice 
with a bit of grass, but it returned to its victim after a short 
pause both times. The second time, however, it met some 
small dark red ants, which had discovered the prey, and backed 
away, seemingly afraid of them. The relative proportions in 
size of the predatory spider and its victim were about those 
of a lion to a camel. I once noticed, when bathing in the El 
Bogoi stream, one of these little spiders, of a somewhat similar 
kind, swimming. It was on the bank when I saw it first, and 
deliberately put out into the stream when I went near, making 
a circuit and returning to the bank lower down, a performance 
it repeated each time I disturbed it. 
On the 13th we camped near the big fishing village, halting 
earlier than usual, by special request of my leading porter, 
that the men might have the amusement of bartering fish and 
the advantage of additional rest. Swahilis dearly love fish ; 
even when meat is plentiful they are always eager to get fish 
too, if they can. Knowing their weakness, and also that they 
could have little of their own to exchange for their favourite 
delicacy, I gave Abdulla orders to buy all that was brought 
with some spare beads I had among my own things, which I 
had kept there as a reserve in case any might be needed on 
the road, to save opening a load. In a very short time a big 
heap of dried fish, besides a quantity of fresh, was accumulated ; 
and as I afterwards went out and shot three oryx, meat enough 
and to spare was added ; so altogether there was a feast for 
all hands to rejoice the porter’s heart—for he loves his “tumbu” 
(stomach). Glad I was that they should revel in plenty while 
they could, for I knew it would not always be so. Truth to 
tell, I was not sorry to camp early myself that day, for I was 
feeling very sore and stiff in my side and hardly able to keep 
