274 THROUGH TURK AN A AND SUK 



The next day a short march brought us to Kivas. Our 

 men already showed such evident signs of exhaustion that we 

 decided to remain here for a time. The kraal was at present 

 deserted, and there were no dliurra plantations, but various 

 tokens proved that the wanderings of the nomad Sukhad lately 

 led them as far west as tliis. 



As on the day before, we were much harassed by heavy 

 rain, which increased during the night, and. of course did little 

 to restore the drooping spirits of our men. Their melancholy 

 condition was forcibly brought home to us the next morning, 

 for when we were preparing to start we found one-third of the 

 caravan missing, and Qualla came to explain to us that the 

 defaulters had gone off in the night to get dhurra. The rain 

 had prevented their starting before midnight, so that they had 

 not as usual slipped into camp again unnoticed before daybreak. 

 Presently they trooped wearily in, drenched and miserable, but 

 each with a good bundle of unripe dhurra under his arm. 

 This episode rather complicated our relations with our guides, 

 w^ho were now a little unwilling to have anything to do with 

 such dangerous visitors ; but when they remembered that the 

 Suk and the people of Ndevu from whom the dhurra was stolen 

 were not on very good terms, they decided to stick to us, for 

 their people rather rejoiced than otherwise over the misfortunes 

 of their neighbours on the south. 



We were not really off till about nine o'clock, the path lead- 

 ino- us at first in an easterly direction away from the base of the 

 mountain, and nearly along the water-parting between the 

 Trrawell and the Kerio. The district was rich in bush and 

 isolated trees which, just then in full flower, filled the moist air 

 with their scent. The slopes of the mountain were, however, 

 draped with fog, and the sky was covered with heavy clouds ; 

 in a word, the dreary rainy season had begun, and it was hard 

 work walking on the sodden, slippery ground. In three hours 



