28 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



in England who do not know where to turn for 

 employment. 



I had bought twenty-two donkeys aud four 

 cattle at Kikuyu, and we were going on beautifully, 

 with every one in the best of spirits, when I had 

 a serious misfortune. Leaving Nakuru in the 

 morning, I reached the Guaso Masai, a twenty- 

 mile march, in good time. Having found that the 

 natural pace of the porters was much faster than 

 that of the donkeys, I had left six of my best men 

 and two askaris in charge of the latter under 

 Bakari ben Ali, the Government headman. After 

 I got into camp Bakari sent to tell me that the 

 donkeys had stampeded in the bush, and that 

 he wanted me to send men to find them. I did 

 not think it was a matter of much importance, 

 but when Bakari came in without them, about 

 six in the evening, I saw things were serious. 

 The four men in special charge had not come in, 

 and as we had passed Major Smith's caravan two 

 days before, I jumped to the conclusion that these 

 men had stolen them and driven them back to 

 Nakuru. On hearing that there was no water 

 anywhere to the east or west, I inferred that 

 they must have returned to Nakuru. Accordingly 

 I took six men and walked back that night. In 

 the dusk, and having gone too fast for my men, 

 I missed the way and wandered about till morning, 

 when I reached my yesterday's camp. There was 

 no trace of them, so I walked back, doing fifty 



