THE RETURN MARCH 



for medicine that would protect his people from the Masai. I 

 said that to do this his people need only use more sand and 

 less pombe. With the sand they could keep their spears 

 and simes sharp, while if they gave up pombe they would be 

 brave and strong, and would not quarrel amongst themselves. 

 The chief's entreaties ceased, not, I fear, because he was satisfied 

 with my advice, but because my interpreter gave him some 

 scraps of paper as a present from me of anti-Masai medicine. 

 I was always very particular to disclaim any magical power, as, 

 although a little simple imposition would have helped me forward, 

 it might have hindered those who followed me. But on this 

 morning the attack of fever had left me so limp, that I could 

 not keep sufficiently alert to prevent an infringement of this 

 rule. 



The chief gave me a sheep, which was killed according to 

 the native custom, and blood poured into the ground. After 

 this we were free to depart ; we hastened down the hill, and 

 across the meadows. We forded the Mothambi, on the banks 

 of which grew some wild date-palms {JPJiocnix), and we worked 

 round the eastern slope of the ridge of Changabuba. This 

 consists of gneiss, the first non-volcanic rock (excluding gravels, 

 sands, and lake deposits) which we had seen since entering 

 the Kapte plains west of Machakos, three months before. 



A ford crossed the Tana, due south of our camp at Kithu-Uri, 

 but it was said to be impracticable owing to the swollen state of 

 the river. We were told of another ford, two days' journey farther 

 east, which would be' passable before the other ; but we were 

 assured that even this was now so flooded, that no one would 

 go as our guide. We found the ford and resolved to force it. 

 The river was as broad as the Thames at Richmond, and the 

 stream was swift. The water came up to my shoulders, and 

 the current was so powerful that only a few of the men 

 were strong enough to carry loads across. A school of 

 hippopotami was playing in the pool above the ford, and 

 added to the excitement by occasionally charging to within 

 twenty yards of us. A sad accident marred our pleasure at 

 effecting the passage. All the loads were over except two or 

 three, and I was dressing on the bank, when a cry from Omari 

 of" Kretasi, kretasi " (The papers, the papers) called my attention 

 to the fact that the bundle of Kenya plants had been dropped 



