209 



CHAPTEE V 



THROUGH TUEKANA AND SUK 



From Ma2j 14 to July 30, 1888 



The return journey — Tahufa yote, Bwana! — A poison-spitting snake — One of our 

 men has small-pox— AVith the Elmolo once more— In a volcanic district— We 

 cross the frontier of Turkana — -No grass, no water — On the Kerio river — 

 Tumbao — Turkana and its people — To Gaterr — A trip to the Ragemat — Lema- 

 gori — Another rain shauri — Retiurn to Gaterr — Across the Doenye Erok to 

 Ngamatak — "We buy a camel — Some of our oxen are stolen — AVith the Leibon 

 Laminatjan — To the Trrawell — A little about the Karamoyo — No Poscho ! — ■ 

 Along the Trrawell to Suk — Cheap ivory — The upper course of the Kerio — No 

 way out — ^AVe are forced to plunder — Lake Baringo in sight — Arrival at 

 Nyemps. 



On the morning of May 1 4 Ave were off again, going to meet a 

 very uncertain fate. We A^^ere to make our way southward 

 along the shore of the lake, but where we A\^ere to turn when 

 the food we had with us was exhausted remained an open 

 question, to which time and accident alone could give the 

 answer. Many of our poor fellows, tottering beneath their 

 heavy loads, thought that we should all perish. ' Talmfa yote^ 

 Bwana r {' We are all doomed, master '), they said, adding quite 

 openly, 'The Bwana cannot love us when he can lead us to 

 almost certain death, instead of taking the cattle needed from 

 the pig-headed Washenzi by force.' 'Leave it to us, master,' 

 Avas their cry just as we were starting, ' and we Avill soon drag 

 hundreds of the finest oxen here by their tails.' 



The Count had felt the approach of fever several days 

 before we left, but in spite of that he set out on foot, only, 



VOL. II. p 



