CARAVAN LIFE 2S 



the men with the tins of this so-called water on to the next 

 camp, where there was again no water. Three men armed with 

 rifles were left to guard the precious store, upon which the life 

 of the caravan depended. The following night we marched 

 about twenty miles, and found our supplv of water safely guarded. 

 Each man and beast got a pint. I could only let them rest 

 from 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. through the heat of the day, and then we 

 went on again. Before we started, I distributed the rest of 

 the water. We reached Maungu, a march of about ten miles, 

 and rested two or three hours. I would not allow the tent 



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kmm^' 



t 



A KIBANDA, OR GRASS-THATCHED REED-HUT. 



to be put up, to save the men time and trouble ; I threw 

 myself dressed on my camp-bed and slept like a log. One 

 of the men slept so soundly near the hre, that he burnt a big 

 hole into the canvas covering of the rifle he was carrying. 

 Roused by the man on "zam," that is, on night-guard, loads 

 were once more shouldered ; and a twenty-miles march took 

 us at last to the river Voi and saved us from further danger 

 from the drought. I feel thankful that we did not lose a 

 single life ; but the evil effects of the filthy water were felt by 

 me ; my kidneys must have been affected, as I suft'ered for 

 several days afterwards from severe pain in the kidney-region. 

 The natives and the animals only showed signs of exhaustion, 

 but not of pain. The drought accompanied us without inter- 

 mission as far as the Tsavo river, but without any further risk 

 to life. 



