226 WAR : CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA 



young savage, a Yao, came into the camp and 

 was introduced by Moosa, now close at home. 

 This Yao was not less than six feet three or four, 

 and was remarkably strong, powerfully built, 

 and perfectly proportioned. I tried hard, through 

 Moosa, to get him to come with me for a trip, 

 hoping to make a sort of personal porter of him, 

 and thereby have someone to carry me over the 

 innumerable little creeks and wet gullies, but he 

 was too shy. Moosa now heard that his father 

 had recently been killed by a lion : I cannot say I 

 noticed any decrease in his usual high spirits after 

 receipt of the news. Abdulla having returned 

 with some bags of uraisi, a reddish- coloured native 

 flour, we started next morning to recross the 

 Msalu, which, though lower, was still in flood. It 

 was not an encouraging start, for six more 

 askaris, evidently not liking the idea of re-entering 

 the enemy's country, deserted, disappearing to- 

 gether in a mealie patch. Lewis, too, had begun 

 to develop fever, which was not improved by 

 crossing the river in the hot sun. 



After some trouble we obtained two guides, 

 and in the afternoon set out southwards through 

 the bush. At the first halt my little lance-corporal, 

 Kufakwenda, a most reliable little Mnyanwesi, 

 who had been with me all the time from German 

 East, came running up from the rear to report still 

 more desertions : the rear-guard of three askaris 

 had again deserted and disappeared. It turned 

 out that these three, joining up with the six who 



