A Thousand Miles in a MachiUa 



nation, and contrary to his clearly expressed advice 

 — at least so John said. As further indulgence 

 in the pleasures of the table would probably have 

 been the end of Saidi, we put him on a daily ration, 

 first of brandy and arrowroot and then arrowroot 

 alone, so as to gradually accustom him to his own 

 porridge. John and Franco were detailed to watch 

 him, and see that he did not eat anything else, more 

 especially meat. He gradually improved under 

 this treatment, but I do not think that he completely 

 regained his strength during the remainder of the trip. 



On the 7th November we marched to Kulu- 

 kenias, arriving about 10 a.m. We noted the 

 altitude there as four thousand four hundred feet. 

 Notwithstanding that the chief had been sending 

 in bitter complaints to the boma of the damage 

 the eland were doing to his crops; on our arrival, 

 with a view to exterminating them in his interest, 

 he not only failed to express pleasure at our advent, 

 but denied that there were any such beasts in the 

 neighbourhood. This version was corroborated by 

 our subsequent investigations, and it did not surprise 

 us, so soon as we realized that all the village crops 

 had been safely harvested, consequently there was 

 nothing now to retain the herd. True, next day we 

 struck the spoor of a single solitary bull, but he was 

 the exception that proved the rule. In the evening 

 some reedbuck, which came out into the dambo, 

 close to our camp, furnished us with a supply of 

 meat. 



Our borrowed porters left us early on the 

 morning of the 8th to return to Mpika, and we 



166 



