AFTER ELEPHANT AT BARINGO 
63 
possible crocodiles. With some dismay, however, we 
found, on reaching what had appeared to be the opposite 
bank, that we had merely crossed a shallow by-stream, 
that the apparent bank was an island, and that the 
main river still ran, broad and deep, before us. There 
was nothing for it but to swim, and this we proceeded 
to do, again sending an advance-guard of blacks as a 
precautionary measure. Our rifles and ammunition 
came through all right; but, in spite of every care, our 
clothes (carried aloft in one hand) got hopelessly wet. 
Even on the equator one does not care to dress in 
soaking garments, and we therefore both marched into 
Njemps, three miles beyond, arrayed each in a wet 
shirt, a sun-helmet and a pair of boots. Here we found 
the local chiefs all assembled to meet H.M.’s representa¬ 
tive, but since no one of them wore anything at all, our 
scanty attire created no scandal. Njemps is a strongly- 
stockaded village, with many rows of grass-built huts 
inside its rampart of growing thorns and surrounding 
moat, and we encamped beneath the historic sycamores 
where, less than twenty years previous, Joseph 
Thomson, the first explorer of Masailand, had rested 
after his adventurous journey. 
Here, again, the resonant flute-like song of the bulbul 
struck me as certainly the most effective bird-melody I ever 
heard. Specially noticeable was it just before sundown. 
That afternoon, while Archer held “ shauri ” with 
the chiefs and collected revenue, I went to look for the 
elephant under the guidance of the local hunters, and 
soon found his mighty spoor of the night before. This 
we followed for miles, in and out, always through 
comparatively open ground and loose forest, highly 
favourable for our attack had the elephant been there, 
but he was not. It became evident that, although he 
might come hither every night to feed, he had some 
other stronghold to which he retired by day. We saw 
many waterbuck in these forests, though no really good 
heads, and a superb pair of white-headed fish-eagles 
(.Haliaetus vocifer ) kept screaming and circling overhead. 
