128 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA ch. x 



trumpery knick-knacks which I knew to be very 

 precious to the savage heart. 



When I came to enrol the pagazis (porters) to 

 carry all the loads of food and necessaries, I found 

 myself obliged to enlist a good many undesirables, as, 

 owing to the number of sportsmen who had already 

 outfitted- at Nairobi, all the best men there had been 

 engaged. Luckily, however, I was able to secure 

 my old Headman, Munyakai bin Diwani, who 

 proved himself invaluable throughout the journey. 

 Of course I took with me Abbudi and my Arab 

 horse Aladdin, as well as a dog, Lurcher, which 

 had been given me by a friend a short time pre- 

 viously. 



While I was in the midst of these preparations, 

 and just as I was about to set out on my journey, 

 a friend of mine, B., and his wife arrived in 

 Nairobi. Before I left England I had been asked 

 by B. and a friend of his if I would help them to 

 get their safari together, so that they might not 

 waste time on arrival. This I promised to do, but 

 at the last moment the friend found that he was 

 unable to leave home. The safari was all ready 

 when B. and Mrs. B. arrived, and as they were 

 most anxious that we should journey together, I 

 applied for and obtained official permission for them 

 to accompany me. 



