1873.] THE LAST DAYS. 301 



the sick man. The start was deferred this morning until 

 the dew was off the heads of the long grass sufficiently to 

 ensure his being kept tolerably dry. 



The excruciating pains of his dysenteric malady caused 

 him the greatest exhaustion as they marched, and they 

 were glad enough to reach another village in 2\ hours, 

 having travelled S.W. from the last point. Here another 

 hut was built. The name of the halting-place is not remem- 

 bered by the men, for the villagers fled at their approach ; 

 indeed the noise made by the drums sounding the alarm 

 had been caught by the Doctor some time before, and he 

 exclaimed with thankfulness on hearing it, " Ah, now we are 

 near ! " Throughout this day the following men acted as 

 bearers of the kitanda: Chowpere, Songolo, Chumah, and 

 Adiamberi. Sowfere, too, joined in at one time.] 



2'Srd April. — (No entry except the date.) 



[They advanced another hour and a half through the same 

 expanse of flooded treeless waste, passing numbers of small 

 fish-weirs set in such a manner as to catch the fish on 

 their way back to the Lake, but seeing nothing of the 

 owners, who had either hidden themselves or taken to 

 flight on the approach of the caravan. Another village 

 afforded them a night's shelter, but it seems not to be 

 known by any particular name.] 



2±th April. — (No entry except the date.) 



[But one hour's march was accomplished to-day, and 

 again they halted amongst some huts — place unknown. 

 His great prostration made progress exceedingly painful, 

 and frequently when it was necessary to stop the bearers 

 of the kitanda, Chumah had to support the Doctor from 

 falling.] 



25th April. — (No entry except the date.) 



[In an hour's course S.W. they arrived at a village in 



