SECOND EXPEDITION TO EAST AFRICA 171 



We were both well on in years, and had had 

 long Indian service ; and, by a curious coincidence, 

 Gimlette, like myself, had sustained serious injury 

 to one of his eyes at polo. His injured eye, 

 however, was the left one, so that the accident 

 did not interfere with his rifle-shooting. Not- 

 withstanding these disadvantages, we completed 

 successfully a long and adventurous journey, 

 and made a very good bag. We were both 

 hardy and inured to travel, and Gimlette was a 

 particularly good rider. 



For gun-bearers, servants, and beaters we both 

 placed ourselves in the hands of Messrs. Newland 

 and Tarlton at Nairobi, and Gimlette also obtained 

 a tent and stores from the same firm ; and we 

 were both entirely satisfied with the men and the 

 articles which were supplied to us. To meet the 

 possibility of one of us failing in health, and 

 wishing to return, we organised two separate 

 safaris ; but Gimlette subsequently discarded his 

 headman ; and my headman, a Somali named 

 Abdu, a most capable and intelligent man, 

 although he could neither read nor write, was 

 placed in charge of all the porters. Gimlette 

 had two gun-bearers, a Wakamba named Mabruki, 

 a capital fellow, both brave and cool-headed, 

 and a Swahili, whose name I do not remember ; 

 and he had also a Swahili body-servant, who 

 served him very well. I also had two gun- 

 bearers, Tagarru, a Somali, and Saasita, a 

 Wakamba. Tagarru was brave and intelligent, 

 and knew a little English, which came in very 

 useful. He was arrogant and boastful, but he 

 was not a bad fellow, and on the whole I got 



