286 
African Game Trails 
a steamboat was moored close to a bank, an other 
ant column entered the boat after nightfall, more 
and kept complete possession of 
it for forty-eight hours. Fires, 
and boiling water, offer the only 
effectual means of resistance. 
The bees are at times as formid¬ 
able; when their nests are dis¬ 
turbed they will attack every one 
in sight, driving all the crew of a 
boat overboard or scattering a 
safari, and not infrequently kill¬ 
ing men and beasts of burden 
that are unable to reach some 
place of safety. 
The last afternoon, when the 
flotilla had called to take us far¬ 
ther on our journey, we shot 
about a dozen buck, to give the 
porters and sailors a feast, which 
they had amply earned. All the 
meat did not get into camp until 
after dark—one of the sailors, 
unfortunately, falling out of a 
tree and breaking his neck on 
the way in—and it was pictu¬ 
resque to see the rows of big an¬ 
telope—hartebeest, kob, water- 
buck—stretched in front of the 
flaring fires, and the dark faces 
of the waiting negroes, each de¬ 
puted by some particular group 
of gunbearers, porters, or sailors 
to bring back its share. 
Next morning we embarked, 
and steamed and drifted down 
le Nile; ourselves, 
ur men, our belong- 
lgs, and the spoils 
f the chase all hud- 
led together under 
le torrid sun. Two 
r three times we 
rounded on sand 
ars; but no dam- 
ge was done, and 
i twenty-six hours 
re reached Nimule. 
Ve were no longer 
i healthy East Af- 
ica. Kermit and I 
ad been in robust 
.. ealth throughout 
the time we were in 
Uganda and the 
Lado; but all the 
white men of the party had suffered 
or less from dysentery, fever, and 
