Next morning the weather was threatening, but cleared up
after a little; I was indeed thankful for the sunshine to dry
all my saturated things. All the head-men arrived early,
bringing some scraggy fowls as a present. They appeared
to think that all Europeans are born. doctors, and wanted
medicines for various ailments. Some of their demands were
remarkable for their touching faith and simplicity, as for
instance, medicines to make old people young again, and
particularly for some that would make them fathers of many
children! They told me that one of the two paths led from
here.to Anstruther’s road (from Jelori to Makongeni), and
that the other branched off to M’Lengo-Baya and into the
interior. They assured me that there was no road to
Makongeni on the north side of the river; so I posted two
of my men on the path three and a half miles away, where it
joined Anstruther’s road, and two more on the path branching
off to M’Lengo-Baya; a third outpost of four men I placed
outside the village, and felt that I had done all I could for
the present.
In the evening the Galla head-men brought a number of
fresh applicants for medicine. This hankering for drugs is
astonishing; everywhere I went it was the same th in g b u t
I always encouraged the people to come and talk to me,
as I found i t . was one of the best ways to obtain information
about their country and themselves.
Formerly the Gallas lived chiefly on a flesh diet, like the
Masai, but now maize is their principal food; they are- also
very fond of goats’-milk, and keep large herds of them, but
they told me that they lost a good many by crocodiles seizing
them while drinking at the river. The next day, October
26, I was once more restored to comparative plenty by the
return of the two. messengers that I had sent down to the
coast' for much-needed supplies; they also brought me a
couple of books from Anstruther. They were a treat! The
messengers also brought, me a letter from the Administrator,
authorizing me to act as I thought best. Mr. Wilson had
also written :to me to say that he had got sixty to seventy
Watoro scouts watching the country all round Makongeni.
The runaway. slaves. naturally. hated the Arabs, and vowed