RELIEF EXPEDITION 41 



married women had to race for them — first in- 

 side the door to be the possessor. I see from a 

 note that we had twenty starters. I can hear their 

 screams and shrieks of laughter yet. 



Just before Christmas, that is before things had 

 settled down, while Carter was collecting taxes, a 

 sub-sheikh sent out to do so by him was murdered, 

 so it was considered necessary to send him an escort 

 of Camel Corps. I was not surprised then one day to 

 see a small party of them coming into camp. The 

 corporal in charge at once sought me out and re- 

 ported that, when returning to me with a prisoner 

 made by Carter, the former's tribesmen had inter- 

 vened and rescued him. Turda, the place it had 

 happened at, was seven days' journey away. The 

 corporal had come to me in five. Taking into con- 

 sideration the state of unrest that still in a measure 

 existed, I concluded that rapid and immediate measures 

 were necessary to prevent this spirit of open defiance 

 spreading. 



By good luck it was my watering-day, so the camels 

 being handy I was able to start without any delay. I 

 had determined to make a forced march, but, wishing 

 to mislead any spies as to my rate of travel, I did not 

 go far before halting that night. It was very cold. 

 Having no map, I divided my distance by time, i.e. 

 instead of so many miles I marched so many hours. 



The thorn country soon merged into tropical forest. 

 I was shown a red flower on a short stump, about two 

 feet in diameter at the bottom, tapering to a point, and 

 four feet high, which is used to blind crocodiles, being 



