DIVIDED FORCES 17 



traverse the country of the Borana Galla and return by a long 

 march across the head waters of the Juba to the coast opposite 

 Aden. We thus hoped to run two Hnes across the biggest 

 blank still left in the map of Africa. The caravan had been 

 armed and equipped regardless of expense. We had with us 

 a Maxim gun, 250 Sniders, 30,000 cartridges for the former, 

 and 100,000 for the latter. We therefore felt on landing that, 

 whether we succeeded in the accomplishment of all our plans or 

 not, we were not likely to turn back without a long and deter- 

 mined struggle. 



At this time our forces were divided. The Abyssinians 

 were not ready when we left Aden ; Harris and Mackinnon 

 therefore stayed behind to take them on to Zanzibar in the 

 French mail. Thence they were to cross to Mombasa, collect 

 the Zanzibar!, and march north to join us wherever our chief 

 directed. 



Thus at the beginning of December there were 6 Euro- 

 peans, 150 Somali, 10 Turks, and all the stores in camp at 

 Mkonumbi. Harris and Mackinnon were coming up from the 

 south with 70 Abyssinians and 80 Zanzibari. A telegram was 

 sent to them to land at Melindi on the south side of the Sabaki, 

 and thence march overland to join the rest of us on the banks of 

 the Tana. The camels were due to arrive by the 22nd December, 

 and we continued the work of packing and overhauling stores, 

 drilling the men, and preparing equipment, so as to be ready 

 to march as soon as the transport animals should arrive. It 

 was not long before the minor troubles of African travel began 

 to worry us. Stores had been badly packed, and a great mis- 

 take had been made in buying the rice and dates in London 

 instead of in Aden. We soon learnt to appreciate the wisdom 

 of the Suahili proverb — 



" Fulani amerudisha tende Manga" 

 (He has sent back dates to Arabia). 



Our men would not take the rice, so 20 tons of it were sold, 

 and the rest exchanged at a heavy loss. The cooking -pots 

 proved useless and a source of danger to the men. The tents 

 were unsuitable for the work ; and two of them were missing, 

 as well as other indispensable articles. Our men, moreover, 

 proved incapable, lazy, and troublesome. We had to show 



C 



