276 THROUGH TURKAXA AND SUK 



across tlie riisliing torrent, taking a thin line with them to 

 begin with ; but again and again they were swept down by 

 the strength of the current, or sucked into some whirlpool, so 

 that we almost gave them up for lost. At last, however, they 

 succeeded in their bold attempt. A strong line was made taut, 

 and after many hours of hard work a few of the bravest of our 

 men were got across the river, and we were able to console 

 ourselves with the thought that if everything else failed we 

 should at least be able to get some unripe dhurra. 



Some of the rest of the men went off to explore the right 

 bank of the river, as we were quite in the dark as to whether 

 it was or was not inhabited, and were anxious to ascertain what 

 were our chances of food and guidance for our further journey. 

 They soon came back with the news that they had come upon 

 some nomad Suk, who had pointed out the smoke from a cattle 

 kraal. It was too late to go to the kraal, but the news filled 

 us with fresh hope ; it was a last straw at which we eagerly 

 clutched. 



The thefts committed by our men in the Wendo plantations 

 were detected, and led to a struggle with the natives in which 

 showers of arrows were discharged, one man only being seriously 

 wounded in the abdomen, and he recovered completely. !N'ot 

 a shot was fired on our side. 



Meanwhile the condition of our men, half starved and con- 

 tinually drenched as they were, grew rapidly worse, and on the 

 mornino^ of July 19 the Count determined to start again, 

 althouo-h a dozen of our people had been missing for two days. 

 We had seen not a sign of the Suk nomads, to whom we looked 

 for our salvation, but the Burkeneji women had come several 

 times every day to the edge of the river to gaze longingly at 

 us, without being able to screw up their courage to attempt the 

 transit. But at last, when they saw they were in danger of 

 beino' left behind with the Suk, they decided to trust themselves 



