exciting pause, we heard a gurgling sound proceeding from a
thick clump of bush about twenty yards away.
Bwana Siri then declared it was not an elephant but a lion,
and we presently heard the beast, who must have been quite
unaware of our proximity, leisurely yawning; we stole up as
quietly as we could, but before any of us could fire a shot a
fine leopard stole out of the bush and bounded away. We
resumed our march, and without further incident reached our
old camping-ground below Buramanza Hill.
Starting early the next morning, June 7, we travelled back
very quickly over the path it had taken us so much toil to cut,
arriving at Burkau at one o’clock the same afternoon. Just
outside the village my attention was called to some old ruins,
the remains of an old stone wall and one or two tombs,
evidence that the Watiku must have been settled here a very
long time ago.
I went at once to the Baraza, where, sending for the headman,
I told him that I evidently had to thank him for my five
days’ wanderings in the bush, and that I was exceedingly
displeased at the manner in which I had been treated,, but
that I was now more determined than ever to ascertain the
truth about this forest, and expected him to make immediate
amends for his past conduct by supplying me at once with a
trustworthy and reliable guide. I went back to my old
camping-ground outside the village, where presently the askari
whom I had sent down with the dhow, came to report its safe
arrival with all my stores after a good two days’ voyage from
Kionga.
The head-man sent a messenger to say that he would come
and see me early next day, when he hoped everything would
be arranged to my satisfaction. I was greatly annoyed at all
this waste of precious time, and specially so with my head
guide, Bwana Siri, who, whether purposely or otherwise, had
proved himself such a broken reed.
June 8 and 9 were spent in tedious shauris with the Burkau
head-men, who tried every means of frightening and turning
me from my resolve to penetrate inland again. They said
that the Wa-Galla living in the country behind Burkau were
very bad people, and would certainly try to kill me and my
porters if I went near them. They wished me to give them a
letter saying I was going into the Wa-Galla country of my
own free-will, so as to exonerate them in the event of anything
happening to me. I immediately agreed ; they then dropped
the subject, nonplussed for the moment. Early on the
morning of the second day, they returned with the new guide
that they had at last consented -to give.
This guide, on being questioned by me, acknowledged himself
to be a slave, and when I asked him where he was going
to lead us, he pointed to the southward, in the direction we
had just traversed. On asking him if he was to take us by
paths he replied, “ No, through the bush only.” I then asked,
did he know the country towards the west and north-west, and
he said, “ No, he had never been there.” .
This- made me lose patience ; I turned round to the headmen,
and asked them what was the use of such a man, it
would only be repeating what had happened before , let them
give me a definite answer once for all— would they give me a
guide or would they not ? The head-man replied, if I wanted
to go into the Galla country, why did I not mention this
before, as then he would have sent for the Galla head-man. I
answered, how could I, a stranger, possibly know whether
I would_ have to pass through the Galla country or not?
Besides, why did he not mention the matter at the shauri I
held with the head-men of that tribe ?
I was getting tired of all these obstructions, and said that I
would report their conduct to their chief, Mze Saif. On
hearing this, they asked leave to retire for a consultation
amongst themselves, and on their return made the following
offer:—
They would send for the Galla head-man to come in and
have a shauri with me. This I was told would take about
three or four days, and as their messengers would doubtless
receive instructions to warn the Gallas privately not to allow
me to pass through their country, I closed the conference, and
announced my intention of leaving the next day, as I saw it
was their evident intention to afford me no assistance whatever
; I would report the matter both to Mze Saif and at
Mombasa.