ii8 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



to look for them, and had to walk some miles beyond Teleki's 

 camp before I found them comfortably asleep under a tree. 

 They declared they were unable to move owing to stomach- 

 ache. Two of my men supported the one, myself and another 

 Askari supported the other woman. On passing Teleki's camp 

 for the third time, I stopped and asked him for some brandy 

 to administer to these women. I then sent some men on to 

 fetch my own riding-donkeys to carry these women to my camp. 

 Teleki, seeing how tired I was, brought his camp bedstead out, 

 and most kindly insisted on my lying down. The moment I 

 did so, I fell sound asleep. The arrival of the donkeys woke 

 me. 1 tried to help the two ladies to get on the donkeys, when 

 to my surprise I found that both were helplessly drunk. 



I naturally attributed the effect to the brandy, though it 

 seemed unaccountable it should have had such an effect. 1 

 felt sorry that Teleki witnessed their condition. One of these 

 ladies we tied on to the donkey to prevent her rolling off, and 

 sent her thus to Mbogo, accompanied by some of his men ; but 

 the second one was too far gone. Two men had to carry her, 

 whilst I walked by their side. Teleki tried hard to keep me 

 at his camp for the night, and very kindly offered to put me 

 up ; but the unfortunate condition of these women made it 

 doubly necessary to see them safe to their husband's tent. 



Next day Count Teleki and I camped together at Samburu, 

 and the mystery of the drunken condition of the two women was 

 explained. It appears that whilst I slept, the two went to Teleki 

 and intimated that the brandy had almost stopped their suffering 

 but not quite. He thought he might as well repeat the dose ; 

 but every few minutes they applied for another dose, till they 

 were too drunk to come for more. Both of them had a splitting 

 headache next day, but — niit-abile dictu—ihey never suffered again 

 from stomach-ache on the journey. 



It w^as on this journey that I found one of the Uganda 

 wooden spears very helpful in marching along, a sort of pilgrim's 

 staff. The Waganda double-edged hghting spear has a rather 

 long blade, longitudinally grooved on each side. The wooden 

 spear is usually over six feet long and terminates in a very sharp 

 point ; its other end is tipped with iron, to stick the spear into 

 the ground when not required. The wood made use of for the 

 manufacture of these spears is remarkaby tough and strong, and 

 yet extremely light. 



