THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 153 



inches. A twenty-six to twenty-eight inch length is 

 considered extra good. 



We then sent for the safari and made camp right in 

 the middle of an isolated thicket, cutting ourselves 

 burrows and chambers in which to set the tents. The 

 sun here is very powerful at noon. Rather seedy, so 

 rested. Cuninghame went out to look for a possible 

 way across the river, and to shoot another beast for our 

 complement of meat. Shortly he sent in a topi. Re- 

 turning later, he reported finding islands and possible 

 bridge route five miles up. Saw giraffe and eland. 



At dusk the Wakoma came to us in a body. 



" We want to go home, " said they. 



This was a facer, as we would not get far without 

 them. They seemed to have no complaint, but only 

 to have become restless and uneasy. Their minds, 

 however, were quite made up. First, we spread out a 

 big blank book, called each man up, asked him his 

 name and the name of his Sultan, making a great and 

 elaborate pretence of writing him down. All this very 

 deliberate and slow, so as to get them well impressed 

 with the seriousness of the occasion. Then we told 

 them that we would send them back in twelve days, 

 when we reached the tribe of the Ungruimi. After 

 that we called each man up by name, asked him if he 

 individually insisted on going home, and on receiving 

 his answer caused him to stand aside from the group. 

 Thus singled out not one had the nerve to say he would 



