ACROSS THE SERENGETTI 



In the morning, however, we found they had left 

 with us new responsibilities in the shape of an elderly 

 Somali, very sick, and down with the fever. This 

 was indeed a responsibility. It was manifestly im- 

 possible for us to remain there with him; we should 

 all die of thirst. It was equally impossible to take 

 him with us, for he was quite unfit to travel under 

 the sun. Finally, as the best solution of a bad busi- 

 ness, we left him five gallons of water, some food, 

 and some quinine, together with the advice to rest 

 until night, and then to follow his companions along 

 the beaten track. What between illness and wild 

 beasts his chances did not look very good, but it 

 was the best we could do for him. This incident 

 exemplifies well the cruelty of this singular people. 

 They probably abandoned the old man because his 

 groans annoyed them, or because one of them wanted 

 to ride in his place on the donkey cart.* 



We struck off as early as possible through the 

 thorn scrub on a compass bearing that we hoped 

 would bring us to a reported swamp at the head of 

 the Swanee River. The Swanee River is one of 

 the sources of the Tsavo. Of course this was guess- 

 work. We did not know certainly the location of 

 the swamp, its distance from us, nor what lay be- 



*I have just heard that this old man survived, and has been singing our 

 praises in Nairobi as the saviours of his life. 



207 



