FRED STARTS FOR GINEA, 63 
journey.) As I intended going for a long time through 
Abyssinian territory (the country ahead being governed by 
Ras Dargue, a brother of the Emperor Menelek), it was 
indeed best to make friends with these people. 
I spent the next day deliberating what | should do. It 
would have been impossible to move the caravan across 
the high, rough mountain range, to the Abyssinian town, 
and I did not like the idea of leaving the camp in the 
rather unsettled state in which it was. Fred insisted that 
he should go instead of me. I finally agreed to accept his 
kind offer. We felt it was rather a dangerous undertaking, 
but at the same time Fred did not think the Abyssinians 
would attempt to use foul play towards him while I re- 
mained behind with almost the whole force of Somalis. 
Gillett started off on the 3d of October, with my head 
man and eight boys. As soon as he had gone, a hor- 
rible feeling of anxiety came over me for his safety, 
although my judgment told me that no harm would come 
to him. I knew he would not return for a week, and this 
long period of suspense I must undergo would be most 
unpleasant. The agreement was that if I did not hear 
in a week from my friend, I should rush to attack the 
Abyssinians, leaving the camp in charge of the natives 
of Sheikh Husein. My Somalis were suffering much 
from the cold, and were very impatient at the long de- 
lay, knowing the while that Lake Rudolf was. stili far 
away. 
The rain seemed to be increasing rather than diminish- 
ing, and the camp was two or three inches under water, 
or else a mass of mud, continually. I tried to keep my 
boys cheerful by instituting games of all sorts, and by 
drilling them night and morning, giving them also much 
target practice. As there was a possibility of the Abys- 
sinians attacking the camp, these drills were a most 
