110 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
too unwell to go out very much, and spent most of my 
time taking observations to rate my chronometers; but 
Fred and Dodson had a good time hunting, while the boys 
amused themselves with all sorts of games, — which they 
played with bits of wood and stones, — and with sham fights. 
The camels did not pick up as rapidly as we had hoped, 
so I determined to send Salan and three of my boys all 
the way to Berbera to buy an extra supply of cloth and to 
fetch our letters. 
Gillett and Dodson now busied themselves writing let- 
ters, while I spent the next two days in preparing copies 
of my maps, and in writing articles for publication in the 
“ Royal Geographical Society’s Journal” and other period- 
icals. Lake Rudolf seemed far away indeed, and the 
chances were heavily against my being successful in turn- 
ing the caravan once more toward the west. It seemed 
impossible to form any idea as to how long it would take 
me to accomplish my object. With six exceptions, none of 
my boys had ever been away from their homes before for a 
longer period than three or four months; and now, after 
more than five months of hard work, we were about to 
enter Somalhland again, without having got near Lake 
Rudolf! 
Nevertheless, I did not cease to hope for the best, but 
determined to provide in every way for a successful issue. 
I gave Salan an order for four thousand rupees, and told 
him to spend the money in buying cloth and other mate- 
rials for barter, as well as camels to carry the goods, and 
I also commissioned him to engage five Somalis for me, 
so that I should have some fresh hands that I could de- 
pend upon. This was an important commission to intrust 
to a Somali, but Salan had proved so faithful to me that I 
had little doubt that he would do his work honestly and 
quickly. It would be necessary to go far south before 
