cerned. These two savages appeared to enjoy themselves
hugely. Long ere they finished the potions
I had prepared for them, they were hilarious in the
extreme; pledges of heartiest friendship were exchanged
between them; and just before taking his
departure, Bykender lifted his voice in a tuneless
chant, which Motio translated for me, as vows of
the most fervent devotion to the European. I suppose
his friendship had been much kindled by the intoxicating
drink of which he had partaken; but if “ in
vino veritas ” has any truth whatever, Bykender’s
words proved that he was more than satisfied with
the treatment he and his people had received from
us. I felt convinced that if we had done nothing
else in the country, we had at least opened the door
to European influence, and that the next white visitor,
whoever he might be, would receive nothing at the
hands of these people but good treatment.
Not wishing to exhaust the store of flour we had
laid in for our further journey, I set out one day to
the Tana River for the purpose of hippopotamus
shooting, in order to get food for my men in exchange
for the meat. On the way I killed several
water-buck, and was greatly assisted in getting them
by the dogs, Felix and one of his puppies, the other
puppy having gone with Lieutenant von Hohnel to
the coast. *
While en route to the Tana, I met a party of 300
Wakamba on their way to the Wanderobbo, for the
purpose of trading and hunting for ivory. It seems
that most of the men of the Wakamba, when harvest
is over, and their presence is no longer needed on
the plantations, form parties, and set off into the
desert; where, if they do not succeed in getting
ivory, they at least support themselves without reducing
the store of grain they have laid up at home.
On leaving their country, each man takes with him
in a bag, which he carries upon his back, forty or
fifty pounds of millet flour. This small supply is
sufficient, when eked out by the game they shoot,--to
support them for several months. They do not con-
S o u d a n e s e G u a r d a t G a t e
fine themselves to hunting and legitimate trade, but
if at any time they fall in with a party weaker than
themselves, possessed of wealth in any form, they
plunder it.
These Wakamba are wonderful travellers. I have
met some who stated that they had penetrated as far
north as Reschatt, and others who boasted of having
raided the Turcana. I think that, should a European
establish himself among them, he might under their
escort succeed in exploring a vast area of country in
a most satisfactory manner. Of course, it would be