102 
ON SAFARI 
exchange for coloured heads and iron wire. Still, one is 
always in the main dependent on one’s own stores, and 
the following entry in the diary shows the straits we 
had reached at this date: “ Milk has given out, and 
coffee also; soups did so weeks ago. There is only one 
candle left, and one tin of biscuits—nothing else. We 
now live on venison and rice, drink raw tea, and go to 
bed in the dark.” 
Early in September we left the hospitable homa of 
Baringo, that outlying frontier-post of Empire where a 
single Britisher, by means of a wattle-and-daub house, 
a few mud huts, seventy native soldiers, and some coils 
of barbed wire, maintains control and moral supremacy 
over swarming savage tribes. Marching southward, on 
the third evening we encamped on the Molo River, 
beneath the broadest-spreading mimosa I ever saw. 
The spot, I believe, is called Ya-Nabanda. Here we 
intended to halt a couple of days to secure a few more 
specimens of the large Jackson’s hartebeest. I had 
succeeded in shooting two bulls, carrying heads of 22 
and 201 ins. respectively, and on the second evening 
W- brought in even a finer head of 22\ ins., yet 
withal he was strangely dispirited and despondent. 
On comparing experiences, it turned out that a 
curious coincidence had befallen. We had both that 
day at last fallen in with eland, animals we had already 
abandoned hope of seeing. In my own case it was a 
single eland in company with zebras and small harte- 
beests. Even at the distant view I saw at once by the 
square-built stern and heavily-tufted tail, swishing at 
the flies on its flanks, that this was a new animal to me. 
On a nearer approach I recognised it as an eland cow, 
carrying long but poor horns. I crept within 100 yards 
of the group, and thoroughly enjoyed the scene. But a 
cow eland was not available game, and I shot a water- 
buck bull instead. 
Meanwhile, to the east of the river W-—— had fallen 
in with a herd of no less than fifty elands, but only 
including one big heavy bull. This splendid beast he 
