6o AT MOMBASA— A SECOND START part ir 



him, but by the kindness of Hobley one of the Company's men 

 took his place. These delays made it eleven o'clock before the 

 last load was tied up and Omari was able to report that all 

 were present. The men then formed line outside the Transport 

 Office ; each had a load assigned to him ; arms and cooking 

 pots were distributed. At last all was ready, and I was able 

 to give the much-desired order to start. The " kiringozi," or 

 guide, decked in a gorgeous Busoga goatskin, took his place at 

 the head of the line and unfurled the flag of the expedition. 

 A couple of drummers hired for the occasion began to beat 

 their noisy tomtoms. Then the men struck up a marching 

 song, and amid the cheers of a crowd of natives the caravan 

 started on the journey. Shortly afterwards we despatched 

 some men with ten loads of food and two of ammunition, which 

 I preferred not to distribute until we were on the mainland. 

 To have given them out before would have increased the 

 temptation to desert, or at least to sell the cartridges. I still 

 had to settle some accounts, and, in accordance with the 

 Brussels Convention, to sign a guarantee not to part with arms 

 or ammunition, and receive a license to carry them. Not until 

 four o'clock could I get away, by which time the porters were 

 already in camp on the mainland. My own pleasure in the 

 start was lessened by an attack of fever, and I could not get 

 up an adequate appreciation of the kind efforts of two of the 

 Company's officials to cheer me by a parting song continued 

 as long as I was in sight. The refrain of the song — and it 

 seemed all refrain — was the question, " Will he nae come back 

 again ? " I walked across the island to the old fort of Makupe, 

 which was built to guard the ford to the mainland in the days 

 of the long struggle between the Suahili and the Portuguese. 

 I crossed in a dug-out canoe, and at once began the ascent of 

 the slope that leads to the great inland plateau. 



On the way I picked up a few fragments of some 

 ammonites, which occur in the clay that forms the lower 

 part of the slope. These were the only fossils I expected 

 to find throughout the expedition. So in spite of their 

 fragmentary condition I stowed them away in one of my 

 capacious pockets. I strolled on to camp feeling grateful 

 to these, for they brought pleasantly to my mind, for a few 

 minutes, memories of the charming valleys in the Cotteswolds 



