sort of work; namely, bearing burdens upon their heads
and shoulders. We hoped, however, should we be fortunate
enough to reach the Rendile, and purchase
camels from them, to instruct our porters in the care of
these beasts, and, further, to use them, should necessity
arise, as an armed force.
For the management and care of the beasts of burden
I engaged seven Somali. These people possess camels,
flocks, and horses of their own at home, and consequently
are well fitted for such work. Owing to the
warlike nature of the tribes through which we expected
to pass, we engaged twelve Soudanese soldiers from Mas-
sowah. Thus my caravan was composed of three distinct
peoples. These we hoped to weld into one efficient
whole, notwithstanding the fact that we had been
warned that their cohesion was not to be expected in an
African expedition, particularly when it is borne in mind
that their customs as well as characters differ in a great
degree. As the narrative of our journey progresses, it
will be found which view was the correct one.
The Tana River enters the Indian Ocean near the
town of Lamoo, and we pitched upon this place as the
starting-point of our journey. The preparations for a
journey of exploration in the interior of Africa cannot
possess great attraction to the general reader, and, therefore,
little stress will be laid upon the detail.
All the material which it was possible to procure in
Europe had been purchased and packed either in London
or in Vienna; and from these points we shipped
them directly to Lamoo. There yet remained, however,
the enlistment of men, the purchase of beasts of burden,
with their pack-saddles, etc., and a thousand and one
little things which are procurable only on the coast of
Africa. Through the kindness of the Italian authorities
at Massowah, we were enabled to procure the Soudanese;
and it is not the fault of our kind friends there that the
quality of these men was not better than it later proved.
The Somali were engaged at A d en ; there, likewise, we
purchased the saddles for our camels and two horses.
This portion of the work was attended to by Lieutenant
von Hohnel — I going to Zanzibar to engage porters.
I could not have chosen a more inopportune time for
the enlistment of porters at Zanzibar. The British East
Africa Company, bent upon the retention of Uganda,
had practically exhausted the supply of porters, and a
missionary caravan was on the point of starting to the
interior. Apparently, a porter was worth his weight in
gold, and almost as difficult to procure as is that precious
metal. However, I brought excellent letters to the authorities
at Zanzibar, and my friend, Sir Gerald Portal
(since deceased), was at that time the British Agent and
Consul-General at this place. This gentleman offered
me every assistance in his power, and instructed General
Sir Lloyd Matthews, the efficient Prime Minister to the
Sultan of Zanzibar, to throw the great weight of his
local influence into the scales in my behalf. Moreover,
the American Consul, Mr. Jones, procured me.an audience
with His Highness the Sultan, Seyd Ali, who
kindly permitted me to enlist porters in my service.
Although permission had been granted me, yet, in
order not to excite the jealousy of others in search of porters,
the enlistment of the men was carried on in a more
or less secret manner. Runners were sent out to the
neighbouring plantations with the news that an expedi