into two parties, or relays, one to work by-
night, the other by day, after which I took a
picked body of pioneers with axes and guns,
and cut a narrow path three miles in length,
which brought us opposite Ntunduru Island
blazing the trees as a guide, and forming rude
camps at intervals of half a mile. Material-
dried palm-branches and bundles of cane smeared
over with gum frankincense— was also brought
from the village to form lights for the working
parties at night: these were to be fastened at
elevated positions on trees to illuminate the jungle.
We were not further disturbed during this
day. In the evening Frank began his work
with fifty axemen, and ten men as scouts, deployed
in the bushes in front of the working
parties. Before dawn we were all awakened,
and, making a rush with the canoes, succeeded
in safely reaching our first camp by 9 A.M.
with all canoes and baggage. During the passage
of the rear-guard the Bakumu made their presence
known to us by a startling and sudden
outburst of cries; but the scouts immediately
replied to them with their rifles, and maintained
their position until they were supported by the
other armed men, who were now led forward
as on the day before. We chased the savages
two miles inland, to other villages which we
had not hitherto seen, and these also we compelled
them to abandon.
rJtio-*3i 1877-1 ROAD-MAKING UNDER FIRE. 299 I Bakumu. J
In the evening, Frank, who had enjoyed but
i short rest during the day, manfully set to
work again, and by d a w n had prepared another
! three-quarters of a mile of road. At 10 A.M. of
\ Z nth, by another rush forward, we were m
our second camp. During this day also there
was a slight interchange of hostilities, but, e-
tw soon released from the savages, the day
party was able to prepare half a mile of good
road, which Frank during the night was able
to extend to a mile and a quarter. By 5 P.M-
0f the 12th therefore we were safe in our third
camp. Excepting Kacheche and a few men detailed
as sentries, we all rested for this mg ,
but in the morning, refreshed from our labours,
made the fourth and final rush, and thus, after
seventy-eight hours’ terrific exertion, succeeded
in reaching the welcome river and launching
our canoes. . . .
The Bakumu, utterly disheartened by their
successive punishments and bad success, left us
alone to try our hands at the river, which,
though dangerous, promised greater progress
than on land. The following two days’ accounts
of our journey are extracted from my journa
«January 13. - As soon as we reached the river we
began to float the canoes down a two-mile stretch ° fr a p id
to a camp opposite the south end o f Ntunduru Island. S .*
canoes were taken safely down b y the gallant b o a ts crew.
The seventh canoe was manned b y Muscati, Uledi Muscat!
and Zaidi, a chief. Muscati, the steersman, lost hts presen