branches. Heavy squalls of wind and rain continued more or
less during the night, and to save my tent from collapse, I
had to jump up more than once to drive in the tent-pegs,
which the force of the wind had dragged out of the ground.
On waking up the next morning, May 23, I found the camp a
complete swamp, and a depth of 3 or 4 inches of water inside
my tent!
CAMP A T ITEMBE.
Mr. Rogers and the Liwali of Lamu, though expected
the day before, had not yet arrived, so after waiting three days
and constantly shifting my tent from one quagmire to another, I
at last, on the 26th, for the sake of my men’s health, moved
my quarters to Mattaroni.
The following thermometer readings from May 23 to
26 inclusive will show the marked fall of the temperature
along this coast during the wet s e a s o n —
May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26
6 a.m. 75° 74° 73° 720
10 a.m. 85L 8i° 78° 8o°
4. p.m. 79° 806 78°.' 720
6 p.m. 79°
O1 -0 00 '
76° ■ 7 2°
Soon after my arival at Mattaroni, a Watiku messenger
came in from Itembe to report the arrival of Mr. Rogers and
the Liwali in the steam launch. The heavy rain prevented
my going back at once, but I sent word that I would return
early next day. I started back for Itembe the first thing in
the morning, wading through the low-lying plain, now one
sheet of water, from 2 to 4 feet deep in places. I found
Rogers, who had been unavoidably detained, and the Liwali
of Lamu established in Mze Saif’s house, Mze Saif having
also come with them ; they had picked him up at Faza on
their way here. I was very pleased to see Rogers again, and
after breakfast we held an important conference with Mze
Saif as to my proposed journey.
I told Mze Saif that. I was desirous of proceeding to Port
Durnford, and from thence striking inland with a view to
finding this reported large forest in the interior. He replied
that “ he and all he had ” were at my disposal, and offered me
as guide the same Bajoni elephant-hunter, Bwana Siri, whom
I had had before. This man, on being sent for, declared his
willingness to take me up to Port Durnford and thence
inland to the forest as far as I wished to go, but he added
that he feared that a tribe of Wa-Galla living in this forest
might cause trouble. I told him my object was a peaceful
one, and promised that I should always do my best to avoid
trouble with any native tribes we might come across.
As a further security for the good-will of the Watiku, whom
we might meet further north, and that they might know that
I was travelling as Mze Saif’s guest, and with his support)
that chief agreed to send his brother with me as far as Shakan
— beyond which he would not go, as there were no villages
further on. Porters were to be supplied to me, where required
to carry our food supplies, etc., and Mze Saif said his brother
would start that very day for Rubu by sea to make the