they most wanted to cheer them was something to smoke,
At the same time I sent back some other men to Khoko,
with cloth to buy grain for present consumption, as some
of my porters were already reduced to living on wild
herbs and white ants. I then set all the remaining men,
under the directions of Bombay and Baraka, to fell a tall
tree with hatchets, on the banks of the nullah, with a
view to bridging i t ; but the tree dropped to the wrong
side, and thwarted the plan. The rain ceased on the 17th,
just as we put the rain-gauge out, which was at once
interpreted to be our Uganga, or religious charm, and
therefore the cause of its ceasing. I t was the first fine
day for a fortnight, so we were only too glad to put all
our things out to dry, and rejoiced to think of the stream’s
subsiding. My men who went back to Khoko for grain
having returned with next to nothing—though, of course;
they had spent all the cloths^-1 sent back another batch
with pretty cloths, as it was confidently stated that grain
Avas so scarce there, nothing but the best fabrics would buy
it. This also proved a dead failure ; but although animals
were very scarce, Grant relieved our anxiety by shooting
a zebra and an antelope.
After five halts, we forded the stream, middle deep,
and pushed forward again, doing short stages Eight successive ~ o o o
marches in the 01 IOUX
or five miles a-day, in the greatest
erness. possible confusion; for, whilst Grant and I
were compelled to go out shooting all day for the pot, the
sheikh and Bombay went on with the first half of the
property, and then, keeping guard over it, sent the men
back again to Baraka, who kept rear-guard, to have the
rest brought on. Order there was none; the men hated
this “ double work ¡J all the Wanyamuezi but three deserted,
with the connivance of the coast-men, carrying off
their loads with j them, under a mutual understanding, as
I found out afterwards, that the coast-men were to go
shares in the plunder as soon as we reached Unyamuezi.
The next great obstacle in this tug-and-pull wilderness-
march presented itself on the 24th, when, after the first
half of the property had crossed the Mabungürü nullah, it
rose in flood and cut off the rear half. It soon, however,
subsided; and the next day we reached “ the Springs,
where we killed a pig and two rhinoceros. Not content,
however, with this fare—notwithstanding the whole camp
had been living liberally on zebra’s and antelope’s flesh
every day previously—some of my coast-men bolted on to
the* little settlement of Jiwa la Mkoa, contrary to orders,
to purchase some grain; and in doing so, increased our
transport difficulties.
Pulling on in the same way again—when not actually
engaged in shooting, scolding and storming at the men,
to keep them up to the mark, and prevent them from
shirking their work, which they were for ever trying to
do—we arrived on the 28th at the | Boss,” a huge granite
block, from the top of which the green foliage of the
forest-trees looked like an interminable cloud, soft and
waving, fit for fairies to dwell upon. Here the patience
of my men fairly gave way, for the village of Jiwa la
Mkoa was only one long march distance from u s ; and
they, in consequence, smelt food on in advance much
sweeter than the wild game and wild grasses they had
been living o n ; and many more of them could not resist
deserting us, though they might, had we all pulled together,
have gone more comfortably in, as soon as the
rear property arrived next day with Baraka.
All the men who deserted on the 25th, save Johur and
Mütwana, now came into camp, and told us
Halt three days. ^ e y beard from travellers that those men
who had been sent on for reliefs to Kazé were bringing
us a large detachment of slaves to help us on. My men
had brought no food either for us or their friends, as the •
cloths they took with them, “ which were their own,”
were scarcely sufficient to purchase a meal—famines being