o f those o f Bumbireh; bad men's curshs some'
times turn out blessings, ” I said, to encourage
them. One o f the thwarts was chopped up,
and we made a fire, and with some o f the
coffee which I had obtained from Colonel Linant
at Mtesa’s we felt somewhat refreshed. And then,
completely wearied out, they all slept, but 1
watched, busy with my thoughts.
The morning came, the morning o f the
30th April, and though my men had only eaten
four bananas between them and tasted, besides,
a cup o f coffee since 10 A.M. o f the 27 th, they
nevertheless, sixty-eight hours afterwards, when
I urged them to resume their paddles that we might
reach an island twelve miles south o f us, rallied
to my appeal with a manliness which won my
admiration, responding with heroic will but alas!
with little strength.
A t 2 p .m .— seventy-six hours after leaving
A lice Island— we approached a cove in an uninhabited
island, which I have distinguished on
the chart b y the name o f “ Refuge.” W e crawled
out o f the boat, and each o f us thanked God
for even this little mercy, and la y down on the
glowing sand to rest.
But food must be obtained before night. Baraka
and Safeni were sent to explore the interior in
one direction, Murabo and Marzouk in another.
Robert and Hamoidah were set to kindle a fire,
and I to o k my shot-gun to shoot birds. Within
[ApRef°gfI s lan d 75'] A “ SQUARE MEAL” AGAIN. 3T3
half an hour I had obtained a brace o f large
fat ducks; Baraka and Safeni returned each with
two bunches o f young green bananas, and Murabo
and his comrade had discovered some luscious
berries, like cherries.
And what glad souls were we that evening
around our camp fire with this gracious abundance
to which a benignant Providence had led
us, storm-tossed, bruised, and hungry creatures
that we were but a few hours before! Bananas,
ducks, berries, and coffee! The tobacco gourd and
pipe closed one o f the most delicious evenings
I ever remember to have passed. No wonder
that before retiring, feeling ourselves indebted
to the Supreme Being who had preserved us
through so many troubles, w e thanked Him for
His mercies and His bounties.
, W e rested another d ay on Refuge Island to
make oars; and further explorations enabled us
to procure half a dozen more bunches o f bananas.
Our appetites were so keen that there
was but little left next morning b y the time w e
were ready to start afresh. With oar and sail
we set out for Singo Island. Perceiving it was
uninhabited, we steered for Ito Island, the slopes
o f which were rich with plantains, but the natives
slung stones at us, and we were therefore
obliged to continue on our w a y to the Kuneneh
group, near the peninsula o f Ukerewe.
On the afternoon o f the 4th May I a stormy