no 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA KS* 
CHAP. 
Other made no sign, except by whirling round and 
joining the herd in full retreat. 
That night I used a double-barrel muzzle-loader 
(No. lo), with conical bullet made of 12 parts lead, 
I part quicksilver, 7 drams of powder. 
Some days later we heard native reports concern¬ 
ing an elephant that had been seen badly wounded, 
and very lame. 
Forty-two days after this incident I had moved 
camp to a place called Geera, 22 miles distant. 
It was a wild uninhabited district at that time on 
the banks of the Settite river, with the most im¬ 
pervious jungle of hooked thorns, called by the 
Arabs “kittul.” This tree does not grow higher 
than twenty-five feet, but it spreads to a very wide 
flat-topped head, the branches are thick, the wood 
immensely strong and hard, while the thorns re¬ 
semble fish-hooks minus the barb. This impene¬ 
trable asylum was the loved resort of elephants, and 
it was from this particular station that they made 
their nocturnal raids upon the cultivated district 
more than 20 miles distant in a direct line. 
We slept out that night upon the sandy bed of a 
small stream, which at that season of great heat had 
evaporated. Upon waking on the following morn¬ 
ing we found the blankets wet through with the 
heavy dew, and the pillows soaking. Having 
arranged the camp, I left Lady Baker to give the 
necessary orders, while I took my rifles and a few 
good men for a reconnaissance of the neighbour¬ 
hood. 
