FIRST EXPEDITION FROM MOMBASA 



while I was seeing the caravan off in the dusk. But strange 

 to say — whether because his conscience pricked him or that 

 he could not sell what it was so apparent he naust have stolen 

 — he came back of his own accord, watch and all, a few days 

 later. I forgave him, and he was a faithful and reliable man 

 for the rest of the trip. 



Having had long experience of both ways of travelling, I 

 prefer on the whole the Central African system of a caravan 

 of porters for a hunting trip to the ox-waggons of South 

 Africa. Of course the latter means of transport have many 

 advantages and the others their drawbacks, and probably many 

 people would disagree with my conclusion. But with the 

 " safari " one is more mobile, independent of roads, and never 

 has those terrible " stickfasts " — so upsetting to plans and 

 tempers — to which waggons are liable. 



I have no intention of inflicting upon the reader a de- 

 scription of the wearisome details of caravan travelling. It is 

 less monotonous to go through than to read about. The 

 exercise keeps you in good health, as a rule, and there is 

 always something to be done which prevents the afternoons 

 hanging heavily upon your hands ; while the constant change, 

 even from one disagreeable camp to another, makes variety of 

 a kind — never so tedious as stagnation. One soon shakes 

 down to the life, and finds one's tent as comfortable as any 

 house, while in the former you can never become a nuisance to 

 your neighbours. Breakfasting in the dark at 4 A.M. is trying 

 to one when fresh from civilised habits, I admit ; but one has 

 to and does get broken in even to that, and a most important 

 thing for one's comfort during the march it is to be able to eat 

 heartily at such unearthly hours. 



I had decided to make Laiju — a district on the north side 

 of the Tana, and clpse to the foot of the Njambeni or Jambeni 

 range, which is a little east of Mount Kenia — my first 

 objective point, and to get as much farther north in the 

 direction of Lake Rudolph as I should be able, or as circum- 



