IX.] FEVER AND BLINDNESS. 121 



lack of pagazi. If I had been well, we should have been away October, 

 weeks ago ; but out of forty-five days, I have had one fever of i^"^^- 

 eight days, one of seven, one of five, one of four, and now just 

 getting well of a violent attack of headache, which lasted for 

 five days (and of course do not feel particularly bright), so I 

 have only had sixteen days. Dillon is much better, and has de- 

 cided to go on ; he is not all right yet, though 



^'- Sej)tember '2Qth and ^Ith. — Still detained by lack of pagazi; 

 but I hope to be off in about ten days or so. I have just had 

 another attack of fever, and tliis is the first day I have been 

 able to do any thing. Dillon seems to have fever every other 

 day nearly, but not very violently ; but what I am most afraid 

 of is his sight. He has quite lost the use of his left eye, and 

 has occasional symptoms in his right. It is atony of the optic 

 nerve. If he gets quite blind farther on, I do not see my way 

 to sending him back ; in fact, it would be impossible for the 

 greater portion of our route ; and he himself says getting back 

 to a temperate climate would be the only thing to do him 

 good 



^^SeptemJjer 29th. — Yesterday, by dint of great labor, I got 

 sixteen pagazi together at about 2 p.m., and to-day I hear they 

 are all collected at Taborah, and afraid to go on ; and I am 

 here, with my tent cleared out, and not a soul to move a thing. 

 I shall go mad soon, if this state of affairs continue. I am 

 thinking of going on by myself as light as I can, if I can get 

 enough of the pagazi I have engaged, and making a drive some- 

 how 



" I have sent over to Taborah to try and get the pagazi to 

 come over and go on, but it is dreadful. Oh, for a chance to 

 get out of this fever -stricken place7 and to feel one is doing 

 something ! I should feel as happy as a king— ay, and far hap- 

 pier too— if I only heard I could go on, even if I had to walk 

 barefoot the whole way. If I go on by myself, I should take 

 nine askari, and arm six of the best pagazi with spare rifles, 

 which, with my servant, would give me sixteen well-armed men, 

 besides myself ; and if I can only get them to stick together, I 

 should feel perfectly confident. Coute qui coute, I must go 

 somehow or another, as I don't feel justified in stopping here 

 anv longer. 



