CHAPTER V 



FINAL PREPARATIONS AND START FROM 

 KISMAYU 



On arriving at Kismayu I was again very hospitably 

 entertained, this time by Captain Salkeld, the Pro- 

 vincial Commissioner, who had just returned from 

 Mombasa, where he had been on official business ; 

 and for the following days before I left on my long 

 journey inland I was his guest. Much remained to 

 be done before I could depart ; my provision and 

 trade goods had been purchased already, but I had 

 to choose my men, get their clothes and outfits, collect 

 the pack-saddles, ropes, girths and mats for the 

 camels, and finally to inspect tents, water-bottles and 

 water-tanks, rifles, ammunition and all the innumer- 

 able details upon which not only the success but even 

 the safety of an expedition depends. The selection 

 of a suitable variety of trade goods is of the utmost 

 importance, and in this my headman was invaluable, 

 beino" himself a Mohammed Zubheir Somali born in 



O 



the interior of Jubaland. I shall refer in Appendix C 

 to the various articles which I found most useful, 

 but I should like to emphasise the fact that it is 

 the worst possible policy to stint oneself as regards 

 presents for natives. However distasteful it may be 

 to spend money in this direction it is absolutely 

 essential to give somewhat lavishly (as it may appear 

 at first), for it not only keeps the natives in a con- 



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