86 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



nyika. They told me that we could not reach 

 the Tana in one safari unless we started at 3 A.M. 

 and marched until dark, and that the only water we 

 could be sure of finding on the way was a small 

 stream some ten miles from our present camp by 

 the Karusi. Sometimes, indeed, a little brackish 

 water was to be found at a place called Jukone, a 

 hill a few miles short of the Tana, where there was a 

 spring but it might be dry, added one of the guides 

 with characteristic caution. 



I suspected that the Wakamba had either been 

 bribed or intimidated by the safari into trying 

 to induce me to make but a short march and camp 

 by the stream which they had reported as only 

 ten miles away, and that for this reason they were 

 exaggerating the water difficulties at Jukone. I 

 determined therefore to endeavour to reach the 

 Tana in one march, and ordered the tents to be 

 struck at 2.30 A.M. on Christmas morning, so that 

 we might be ready to start half-an-hour later. 



"A Merry Xmas" we called out to each other as 

 we assembled round the dying embers of the camp 

 fire to drink an early cup of tea before setting out. 

 The stars twinkled brightly as we moved off in the 

 darkness, the Plough and the Pole Star being 

 exceptionally conspicuous on the northern horizon. 

 My Wakamba seemed to be well aware of the 

 fixity of the latter. I observed that they marched 



