CH A P T ER XXII
EXPEDITION TO PORT DURNFORD
A Tedious Delay— A Lion Hunt— Off at last— Organizing my Caravan—
German Plantation at Wange— Development of the Country— The
Ganda Ely— Indiarubber— A Fine Rice Country— Native Cotton—
The Dodori Creek— A Gadfly— The Dodori River— A Lovely Country
— The Mundane Hills—Vaas— A Flooded Land— Camping in the
Rainy Season—An Important Conference.
On arrival at Mombasa, I learnt that the steamer Juba was
daily expected from Zanzibar, as she had to take up stores and
material to the Company’s station at Kismayu. This was an
opportunity not to be missed, so I decided to travel back in her
to Lamu, and from there to start for the Port Durnford portion
of the coast, and when that was explored^ to return and carry
out the remainder of my instructions by reporting on the district
of Wasin. Day after day,, however, passed without a sign
of the Juba, first owing to a slight breakdown of her machinery,
then from inability to take in her stores, on account of the
Arab New Year festivities ; and as each reported new date of
her sailing followed quickly in succession, I never felt sure of
having sufficient time to carry out my inspection of the
southern districts. It was not until the first week in May that
I finally sailed for Lamu.
Whilst waiting in Mombasa I had the unusual experience of
joining in a lion hunt. The track of two lions having been
reported one morning close outside the town, Messrs. Jenner.
and Hobley, two of the Company’s officials, and myself went
out after them. After crawling through the bush for several
hours, we came upon one lion, which Hobley fired at and
wounded. The beast went off into the bush with a roar, and