The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XVI, No. 6 [‎340v] (33/232)

606
AN EXPEDITION BETWEEN LAKE RUDOLF AND THE NILE.
I bagged two specimens of Cervicapi’a chanleri, a beautiful antelope
not known to exist near Lake Stefanie. Two marches beyond Mount
Janissa we came to what appeared to be an enormous barnyard, with
a solid stone floor, and in the centre a bubbling warm spring. The
water was sparkling with carbonic acid gas, tasting like acidulated
seltzer, and it was evidently the drinking-place of many scores of
elephants, judging from appearances. Elephants were ubiquitous;
you could scarcely move in any wooded valley without disturbing
many of them. The next day we were well down in the valley of
Lake Slefanie, and looking forward to plenty of fresh fish and plenty
of water for washing.
On November 26 we made an afternoon march to the south-east
corner of the lake. Seeing a herd of elephants a long way off, I left
the caravan, directing the men to march on to the lake and camp.
After almost running an hour or more to catch up with the
elephants, I came upon a herd of buffalo, and picking out a good
bull, preferred him to the tuskers. Killing the bull and cutting him
up took considerable time, and it was not until near sunset that I
came in sight of the camp. To my horror I saw nothing but blazing
grass where the camp should have been, and on some rising ground,
covered with smoking ashes, stood my boys, looking like the central
figures in one of Lore’s conceptions of the Inferno. I certainly
thought my ship had been burnt up, but my boys were only rest
ing a moment after their heroic efforts to save the kit, which they
had accomplished to the last camel-blanket. No wonder my camel-
men’s faces looked doubly sad when they brought me a tin of water
and asked me to taste it. It was the briniest water I ever touched,
and then I too felt sad. I learned that the lake with its undrink
able water was 2 miles away over a sea of mud covered with dead
fishes. I only had two small barrels of water in camp, which I
always carried for emergency, and these I divided immediately among
the poor parched boys, who had been fighting the fire. Every man
was tired, and yet I had to send at once several boys with camels to
travel all night back to the mineral spring and fetch water the next
day. Here is where the Somalis showed their pluck. Not a man that
I ordered out objected, since it was a question of life or death. Other
Somalis I sent in all directions to follow the paths made by the count
less myriads of animals, and learn where they drank. Most of the
Indians were dead to all intents and purposes, and considered them
selves to belong already to another world. Luck was not so much
against us, however, for in two hours my camel-men had found a spring
of fresh water by following elephants’ spoor, and soon after this the
Indians were resurrected by a gallon of water each.
I will pass over our journey from this point to Lake Rudolf, which
we reached on December 10. The formerly rich tribe of Rusia had