rondo, in order to enable the combined expedition to traverse the foodless country between Mumia's and Kikuyu. Tracy I proposed taking to Karamojo with me, whilst Ferguson would remain in command at the base during our absence, to continue the collection of food. On November 16, therefore, Tracy and Ferguson proceeded to Mbai, Lagin, and other districts, so that the latter might obtain personal acquaintance with the arrangements Tracy had previously made, and with the friendly chiefs who had afforded us so much assistance; whilst Bright and I had much clerical work to get through, writing reports, tracing maps for despatch to England, etc. When Ferguson and Tracy were on their way back to rejoin us at upper Save, their small camp was fired into by the Wa-Sore on the night of November 20. It was the same district, under the chief Wembi, that was constantly breaking out and giving trouble, and once again these natives had to be punished for their aggressive behaviour. On the morning of the 21st, leaving their baggage behind in camp under a suitable guard, Tracy and Ferguson, moving out with a punitive force, descended to the plateau below, on which the Wa-Sore huts and villages were situated. The natives, as usual, fled, and took refuge in a cave, which, unfortunately, could not be discovered. Their huts were burnt, and the grain stored in their granaries removed. Whilst the work of destruction was being carried out, large bands of natives collected, and became most defiant and threatening until eventually put to flight again. The Swahili trading caravan under Sheriff and Mahomed, who had made Save their base for the past three years, had finally abandoned their stockade, and returned to Mumia's en route to the coast. On November 20 Bright left for Mumia's with some sixty or seventy men, the majority of whom were to return from that place in order to assist in the transportation of all the expedition equipment, etc., when the final move from Mount Elgon was to be made, on the arrival of the Headquarter Column at Save. The following day Tracy and Ferguson joined me after their tour of inspection, and, as no further news of Macdonald had been received, I decided to start off in a day or two for Bukora. We moved down to the Lower Save post on the 22nd, and next day organized a column of some 130 men, including 110 rifles, made up of the Sikhs and a Maxim, a section of Sudanese, and the remainder Swahilis. Tracy and I were accompanied, in addition, by 70 donkeys, 60 goats and sheep, 2 camels, and 6 cows, and carried some 60 bags of flour, 9 boxes of ammunition, and 2 or 3 of beads. Leaving Ferguson in command at the base, we were off early on the morning of November 24, and marched some nine and a half miles in a north-easterly direction across an open grassy plain towards Mount Dabasien. For the first three miles we followed the well-worn track east towards the Mugoret stream. On reaching the Kiboko River, out on the plains, we came upon a large area of swampy ground, midst which an elephant was disporting himself, not far from where camp was pitched. Tracy and I went after him, but he made off towards a belt of small mimosa-trees, and we lost him for a time. However, plunging with considerable difficulty through long coarse grass, much pitted with great indentations of these animals' feet, we eventually came upon his tracks, and followed it for some distance. Then suddenly I caught sight of him again amongst the mimosa, and beckoned to Tracy. The wind was favourable to our approach, and there the elephant stood, flapping his enormous ears backwards and forwards, quite ignorant of pending danger—a magnificent and imposing sight. Taking advantage of cover afforded by small thorn scrub, we crept carefully up to him in the long grass, and when only some thirty yards distant from the unsuspecting brute, I fired at a point in his head between the ear-hole and eye. Tracy fired immediately after, and, uttering a shrill trumpet of pain, the elephant made as though intending to charge us, with trunk uplifted and ears spread out. He rapidly changed his mind, whisked round, trotted off a short distance, and again stood, looking exceedingly uncomfortable. We followed him up, but for some time were unable to get another shot at him, as he was extremely restless. Eventually he began to make off rapidly towards the foot of the low outlying spurs of Dabasien, and we both fired. This turned him, and he started off at a smart trot in a direction at right angles to the previous one, with trunk aloft, evidently trying to get our wind. This time we brought him down, and finished him off as he made frantic efforts to recover his legs. A dead elephant is a mighty sight, and one cannot help being struck with a certain amount of awe at its massive proportions. Men were sent off from camp subsequently to cut out his tusks—a long operation—which was not completed until nearly dark. Marching from the Kiboko River next day, we still continued in a north-easterly direction across the grassy plain, interspersed here and there with mimosa-trees, and camped near the foot of two twin cones, or earth-boils, at the base of Mount Dabasien. We were now close to the lower slopes of this rugged mountain, whose highest peak attains an altitude of 9,700 feet, whilst the topmost ridge is a conglomeration of rocky crags and bluffs of most striking outline. The lower slopes were covered with green shrubs and grass, and wonderfully seamed and furrowed. On reaching our camping-ground we came across nine Swahilis, who were carrying letters from Macdonald to Save, and we gathered from them that they had left Bukora a few days previously, where the Headquarter Column was halted, purchasing food from the Wa-Karamojo for the foodless journey back to the base. A few nights before we met, |