KIKUYU TO THE VICTORIA. 29 



miles in thirty hours. Next day both I and the 

 men were knocked up, so I sent almost the whole 

 caravan to go to various points which I marked 

 out, and light fires (so that I could see that they 

 had been there), and examine all the country on 

 the way. Suahilis are absolutely useless for this 

 work, and I was not surprised that nothing was 

 found ; so next day I went myself over the whole 

 country, to try and find out some trace of the 

 missing loads, but entirely without success. My 

 supply of food was running too short for me 

 to delay longer, and so I was obliged to go 

 on. 



This was a most severe loss to me as altogether 

 seventeen loads, six cattle, and eighteen donkeys 

 had disappeared. What tried me more than any- 

 thing else was the fact that four were boxes of 

 stores belonging to Government. I have never 

 been able to find out who stole these things ; 

 either it was Suahilis from Major Smith's caravan, 

 or Masai, or Wandarobbo. It would never have 

 happened if I had had a satisfactory headman, or 

 sufficient experience to know that no Suahili can 

 be trusted ; but one cannot be both in front and 

 behind the caravan at the same moment. 



After this I was obliged to press on as fast as 

 possible to Kabrassie as these days' delay were 

 seriously diminishing my food supply. 



Just after the Guaso Masai or Maji-moto, where 

 this happened, we passed through a series of 



