THE SALT LAKE AND SEMLIKI VALLEY. 139 



thing was shrouded in a cold chilling mist, and first 

 one man and then another, became knocked up, 

 until about 10 a.m. I was left alone. I went on by 

 myself till 2 p.m. The effect of mountain sick- 

 ness was most trying ; I could not walk more than 

 50 yards without stopping to get breath, and by 

 2 p.m. I was utterly exhausted, and without food 

 or anything to sleep in. This was at about 12,500 

 feet. I determined to return and make another 

 attempt later on, and came back to my camp, 

 where everybody was numb and miserable to a 

 degree. Two of my men never got over the effect 

 of this little expedition, and I had to leave one of 

 them at the Salt lake on my return. In fact, for 

 any work of this kind, Suahilis are hopelessly 

 unfit. 



On my return to the Butagu camp, I was at 

 once prostrated by an attack of fever, which made 

 me useless for about five days, and then I had a 

 difficulty with the natives. I had every intention 

 of returning, but under the circumstances, all 

 that I could have done would have been to ascend 

 the valley again and leave my camp for a space 

 of a week at least without protection. I only had 

 forty-two men, and I was not disposed to risk losing 

 even one ; whereas, during my absence, I might 

 have had twenty seriously wounded or killed, and 

 could not have brought home the results of my 

 expedition. It is in a case like this that a large 

 expedition, well armed and carried out regard- 



