A TERRIBLE DAY'S MARCH 



I knew that this was a lie, for the villagers had the 

 day before let out that the elephants had gone south and 

 west. Moreover, the tracks to which they pointed were 

 all old. It was a ruse to get me to stay in order that they 

 might exchange chickens and other food for the beads 

 and other goods of barter that I had with me. 



' You have a lot of cloth and chumbi " (salt), said 

 the headman, who had all along been eyeing the loads. 



" Ah, ah ! ayeh, ayeh ! " shouted the people, clapping 

 their hands at the sight of the cloth and other loads. 

 Many opened their mouths and indicated that they 

 wanted salt. As it was necessary to get some provisions 

 here for us all, I decided to stay for an hour. The 

 people, seeing that I was going to stay, ran back to the 

 huts and shortly returned with chickens, matamma, 

 eggs, and a host of other things that they were anxious 

 to exchange for the beads, cloth, and salt. In a few 

 minutes every one was busy talking, shouting, laughing, 

 and haggling over some trivial matter. It struck me 



that I would write a short note to P and leave it 



with the chief to give to him on his return to the village, 

 as I knew the natives at Wadelai would tell him that 

 I was travelling to Osso, and that he would follow me 

 up. I wrote the note, saying that I should be going on 

 due west, and was making for a few miles south of a large 

 mountain that showed up from here about forty miles 

 away. Being desirous of reaching a higher country than 

 that of the Enclave, I decided to leave the mosquito 

 region and get west, where I could wait for him. Calling 

 the headman of the village, I got Salem to explain to 

 him that he was to hand the envelope to the white man 

 on his return. The fellow called several of his people 

 to come and discuss the matter well before taking over 

 the " skin that talked." It was handed round his family 

 and advisers, who handled it with fear and trepidation, 

 as though it were alive and an unclean animal. The 



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