26 ACCLIMATISATION FEVERS.
next hailed with delight the country of Unyamuezi,
where water was abundant, oozing from under rocks
on the surface or from outcropping rock; and there
was a pleasant confiding air of homeliness and
repose in the people, so different from those worthless
races we had found such trouble in passing
through.
The climate, with wind behind us on the march,
was cooler and less creative of thirst than that of India.
Our dress was an English summer one; no turbans
were necessary; the evenings were delightfully cool;
the sun seldom set in a haze, and one morning of mist,
the 24 th January, was the only one we had. At night,
feeling quite secure from attack, we never slept in our
clothes, but covered ourselves with from one to five
thin blankets, according to the elevation. During the
last week of November, previous to the regular rains,
our camp at Ugogo suffered from heavy north and west
gusts of wind, which set in at 9 A.M., or from dust-
storms lasting two or more hours. In December the
rain for the time would almost crush our little single
canvass tents, but it afterwards imparted to the air
that delightful freshness of the I cold season ” in the
Punjab. Fine, however, as this country appeared to
us, nearly all suffered from an acclimatisation fever,
which rapidly undermined our strength. The five
Tots were sent back from its effects; all were martyrs
to it, suffering from pains in the head, eyes, and
limbs—ague, perspirations, drowsiness, startled sleep,
and delinum. The only remedies in our power or
skill were calomel and jalap, quinine, the first thing in
the morning, and strong soup or hot grog when in
store. The following is the report, 27th October
GUN ACCIDENT. 27
1860, and about the same number of men were in
hospital every morning:—
William, 10 laud., 2 quinine.
Middleton, 10 jalap, 2 calomel.
Lemon, \
2 quinine each.
Jacob, '
Italian, 2 pills co l.; Speke dressed wound.
This does not include the doses given to natives in
camp, who had the greatest faith in the medicine-
chest, often sitting round us as it was administered,
and asking for the dregs of the glass ! We had an
amputation case. The men were practising with their
rifles at a suspended bottle, and Rahan blew off one of
his middle fingers, and came bellowing with rage into
camp, saying, “ Look here what I have suffered by
being induced to come upon this horrible journey!
My life-blood is running,” &c. He had evidently been
drinking. No time was to be lost. I thought from
the first that I should have the operation to perform,
and Speke requested me to do it. I overcame the feeling
of reluctance, and asked for a knife. The Sheikh’s
razor performed a beautiful flap operation, taken from
the inside of the hand, and covering the knuckle.
Rahan shrank at first from it, crying out most lustily,
and abusing us and Baraka for having brought this
misfortune upon him. At last he said, “ Go on: do
it.” When half through, he pulled away his hand, and
gave a tremendous scream; but with great coaxing the
affair was finished; and, without having tied up any
arteries, in a very few days he had the use of his hand,
and recovered his temper.
We never could understand the disease that was