THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 67 



placed in service. While waiting for the Sheikh to return, how- 

 ever, some of the villagers stole several loads of beads, for which 

 Speke held the chief responsible. After a long and heated argu- 

 ment, fifteen cows were given as a compensation for the loss, 

 whereupon the expedition started forward again and did not halt, 

 except at night, until Unyanyembe was reached, which is the 

 most considerable place within the rich district of the Land of 

 the Moon. 



Up to November 23d the losses sustained by the expedition 

 were as follows : One Hottentot dead and five returned ; one 

 freeman sent back with the Hottentots, and one flogged and 

 turned off; twenty-five of Sultan Majid's gardeners deserted; 

 ninety-eight of the original Wanyamuezi porters deserted ; twelve 

 mules and three donkeys dead. Besides which, more than half 

 of the property had been stolen ; while the traveling expenses 

 had been unprecedented, in consequence of the severity of the 

 famine throughout the whole length of the march. 



CHAPTER IV. 



BETWEEN TWO FIRES. 



AFTER leaving the Land of the Moon, Speke encountered 

 many serious difficulties, which crippled his force materially and 

 threatened him with disaster. The country in which he was now 

 traveling was particularly precarious on account of a war then 

 waging between the Arabs and a deposed native chief, named 

 Manua Sera, who proved himself a bitter antagonist, full of 

 strategy and the daring of a guerilla. This chief paid a visit to 

 the explorer, and after detailing the wrongs which had been done 

 him, begged Speke to join him against the Arabs. To have de- 

 clined this request abruptly might have imperiled his own safety, 

 so Speke was compelled to resort to strategy to avoid serious 

 trouble. While deferring his answer, the Arabs, in pursuit of 

 Manua Sera, reached the country and were soon in communication 



