darkness compelled us to give up following him further for
that day. After my departure, these two gentlemen continued
the hunt, and had a most exciting time with the same animal.
The native hunters had marked him down in a thick clump of
bush, and Hobley getting up to him first, fired and broke his
jaw. He turned round to charge, when Jenner fired, and the
lion then came straight at him, rose, and fell dead almost on
the top of him, his claws actually tearing his coat-sleeve— a
narrow shave!
I arrived atLamu on May 10, after an exceptionally stormy
passage, and set about at once organizing my impedimenta,
MARKET STREET, MOMBASA.
porters, and supply of food, and the making of these arrangements
took up several days. On May 16 I was ready to
start, having sent off my porters and loads the day before in a
dhow to Wange,
My caravan, as the personnel of an expedition is termed in
Africa, was composed as follows—
11 Askaris or soldiers, including one corporal.
26 Porters.
1 Head-man (my trusty Dumgu).
,1 Interpreter.
3 Servants, including cook and cook-boy. (In all, 42
persons.) '
The larger number of porters taken on this expedition was
owing to the fact of having to carry a supply of food for
everybody with me, as we should not be able to procure it on
the mainland. Besides the askaris, eight of the porters were
armed, so that I commanded a force of nineteen guns.
Mr. Rogers very kindly offered to take me to Wange, my
starting-point, in the Company’s steam launch, and the tide
serving at 4 a.m., we were up at three o’clock, leaving at 4.30
a.m. The Liwali of Lamu, who knew the channel thoroughly,
A' STREET IN LAMU.
piloted the launch himself. We arrived at Wange at 8.30,
landing at 9 a.m. ; Rogers and the Liwali returned home
after breakfast. I was to meet them both again at Itembe,
where we were to have a conference with Mze Saif and arrange
the further details of my journey to Port Durnford.
Having mustered my people, I sent them off to the village
of M’Kauoni, where I proposed camping, and I remained
behind to visit the plantation of Herr Denhardt, a short
description of which may prove of interest.
E E