2 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



nothing could go on ; but the Arabs paid us daily 

 visits, and gave many useful hints about the journey 

 in prospect. One hint must especially be regarded, 

 which was, to take care, on arrival at the lake, that I 

 did not enter the village of a certain sultan called 

 Mahaya, to whose district Muanza, at the southern 

 extremity of the lake, they directed me to go. This 

 precautionary warning was advanced in consequence 

 of a trick the Sultan had played an Arab, who, after 

 visiting him in a friendly way, was forcibly detained 

 until he paid a ransom for himself ; an unjust measure, 

 which the Arabs pointedly advert to as destructive to 

 commercial interests.! To lose no time whilst the 

 kirangozi was away for I had a long business to do 

 in a very short space of time I intimated to the 

 Shaykh, our Ras-cafila, and the Belooch guards, my 

 intention of taking them with me to the lake, and 

 ordered them to prepare for the journey by a cer- 

 tain date. The Shaykh demurred, saying he would 

 give a definite answer about accompanying me before 

 the time of starting, but subsequently refused (I hear, 

 /as one reason), because he did not consider me his 

 chief. I urged that it was as much his duty as mine 

 to go there ; and said, unless he changed his present 

 resolution, I should certainly recommend the Govern- 

 ment not to pay the gratuity which the consul had 

 promised him on condition that he worked entirely to 

 our satisfaction, in assisting the expedition to carry 

 out the Government's plans. The jemadar of the 



