A JOURNEY UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 367 



in making Commander Attenborough acquainted with the pUght 

 of the Rooseveh party. He told him that while on their way to 

 accept of his kindly invitation and to partake of his generous hos- 

 pitality Colonel Roosevelt and his party had suddenly found them- 

 selves short of both food and water, and unless speedy relief could 

 be afforded them they would have to undergo considerable suffering. 

 He also told how he had come on with extra speed to secure enough 

 w^ater and food to last the party until their arrival, but having 

 underestimated the distance, he and his party had started out across 

 the desert with insufficient food and water to accomplish the jour- 

 ney, which accounted for their bad shape when they arrived. 



But little time w^as lost by Commander Attenborough in organ- 

 izing a party to go to the relief of those in distress. As soon as a 

 number of porters could load upon his launch a plentiful supply of 

 all manner of food and supplies, as well as a sufficient quantity of 

 water, the relief party made a hurried departure. 



CROSSED THE LAKE WITH WELCOME RELIEF. 



Under the direction of Guide Cuninghame, who declared that 

 he could reach Colonel Roosevelt and his party and guide them in 

 by eleven o'clock in the morning, the relief party started across the 

 lake just at dawn, feeling greatly relieved that they would so soon 

 rejoin their half-famished associates with welcome relief. It did 

 not take long, after the lake was crossed, for the porters to transfer 

 the hampers of provisions and the vessels containing the water, 

 from the launch to their backs and set out upon a loping trot to find 

 their suffering companions. The lake w-as crossed to save making 

 a long detour by land which would mean the loss of a couple of hours 

 of valuable time. 



Refreshed by the short rest and the nourishment they had 

 enjoyed, Guide Cuninghame and his porters v^cre soon within sight 

 of the Roosevelt camp, where their coming was welcomed by loud 

 shouts of joy, although their friends had fortunately found a small 

 pool of water to relieve their thirst, which Colonel Roosevelt com- 

 pelled them to boil before using. As soon as the party had partaken 

 of sufficient nourishment to kill the pangs of hunger, as w^ell as hav- 



