urged Mr. and Mrs. Hooper and Mr. Burt to come in to
Melindi, to which they agreed. The former were naturally
greatly excited, and hurriedly packing up their things.
What they could not carry, I advised Mr. Burt, who remained
behind, to send over to the island in the middle of the lake by
canoe and thSn sink the canoe. This he promised to do
before leaving the next day. I had a scratch breakfast with
the Hoopers at one o’clock ; at four Ramazan arrived with the
porters who had gone on ahead, and whom I had recalled.
They did not relish the prospect of going back to Melindi
that night, but they obeyed. I must say the Mission converts
behaved badly, and I had to give up nine of my people to
help to carry Mrs. Hooper and their baggage, and thus had
to leave five of my loads, tent, etc., behind me. I was going
to leave my bed also, but my excellent Ramazan, though he
left his own pillow, would not suffer me to go without it.
Finally we left at 5 p.m., all Mrs. Hooper’s native Christian
girls coming with us— the men and women fled into the
forest. As it got dark I went on ahead, leaving Mr. and Mrs.
Hooper to follow, one of their people carrying the baby. I
left them in charge of Ramazan. I hope never to have
another experience like that night. It was so dark in the
forest that I ran repeatedly against trees, and when I get into
the new road it was worse, for Weaver had set fire to a number
of felled trees, and getting over them was most difficult.
Further on, it was so dark that I could not see the winding
track, so I climbed over pile after pile of timber stacked ready
for burning, and had so many “ croppers ” that it was a wonder
I did not break all my bones. My porters too had a lively
time of it.. As I got near Weaver’s camp, I fired two shots
as a signal of my approach. Just as I arrived I was challenged
by a voice demanding (in broken English as I fancied), “ Who
goes there ? ” I thought it was one of Weaver’s people and
did not reply. Challenged a second time, I answered carelessly,
“ Bwana.” To my astonishment, Weaver himself
exclaimed, “ By Jove ! it was lucky you replied, for I had you
covered with’ my revolver, and if you had not answered I
should have fired ! ” It was he who had challenged me, for
my two shots had startled him considerably, for after my .note
of warning he thought it was the Witu force, and had turned
out all his people ready to fight.'
I explained how it was, and got him to send out some hot
tea and milk for Mrs. Hooper and the baby. When they
arrived Mrs. Hooper declared she could not have gone a step
further when the tea met her. Weaver most kindly turned
out of his tent for them, and he and I slept in a small one.
It rained hard all night.
Next morning Mr. Hooper was naturally anxious to
get his wife and „child into Melindi, so I left more of my
loads behind and put four of my best men to carry Mrs.
Hooper and her baby in a hammock, and sent them off at once.
It was literally raining in torrents, but Weaver rigged up a
waterproof sheet over Mrs. Hooper’s hammock, which effectually
protected her and the baby from the rain. I followed
(telling Weaver to wait for further instructions), and catching
the party up, promised the bearers a present if they came
on sharp. I then went on ahead to Melindi, meeting some
porters with twelve guns, who were sent to our aid by Wilson,
still in charge in Mr. Anstruther’s absence. A letter from him
also informed me that the Acting Administrator at Mombasa
had made arrangements for sending a gunboat from Zanzibar.
Warning had also been sent up to the Administrator at Lamu.
As Wilson could organize and defend Melindi— where the
people mustered a good many guns and were willing and
ready to fight— I volunteered to lead a small force back to
Jelori to defend the Mission settlement if possible, also thinking
that an advanced outpost would be useful to find out
tlm whereabouts of the enemy, and to give timely warning of
their approach. This being approved of, I got together about
fifty men, consisting mainly of my own people from Magarini,
and prepared to start again next morning. Wilson gave me
sixteen donkeys to carry up our stores and supply of ammunition,
etc. I sent word to Weaver that he was to accompany
me, and asked him to keep my loads until I came up. Mr.
and Mrs. Hooper were now living in Mr. Anstruther’s house.
In the afternoon a letter came in from AVeaver reporting
heavy firing in the direction of Magarini shambas.
Next (November 7) morning, when I mustered my people, I