WANT OF WATEK 



83 



Kimemeta's help I could not get much out of him, though I 

 tried to ascertain whether the Wapare practised any religious 

 ceremonies. The inquiry was quite incomprehensible to him, 

 and as he seemed altogether indifferent to everything I said, I 

 very soon broke up the shauri. 



A tramp of five miles across a bush-clad steppe brought 

 us to the swampy mouth of a brook flowing from a valley 

 dividing the Pare Same, or north end of the Pare range, from 

 the Pare Kisingo mountains. This was where we were to 

 join forces again, but Count Teleki had not yet arrived. We 

 pitched our tent close to the edge of a small reed-grown 

 swamp, beneath the cool and pleasant shade of a mighty tree, 

 but the noise of the concert the frogs gave us at night was 

 positively deafening. The ground about our camp was riddled 

 with countless holes, the footprints of elephants ; and a little 

 farther off were the traces of many burnt-out fires, scorched 

 bushes, and so on. Here and there grass was sprouting up 

 again, but the general appearance of the district was melan- 

 choly in the extreme. 



Our days were fully occupied with making topographical 

 observations and in unfruitful shooting expeditions until the 

 late afternoon of March 23, when, to my delight, Count Teleki 

 arrived. His men had not had a drop of water since the early 

 morning, and many had dropped down exhausted by the way. 

 Water was at once sent to them, and their loads were carried 

 for them, a service of love which the Wangwana were eager 

 to render. 



As will be remembered, Count Teleki had been unable to 

 leave Mabirioni before noon, so he only made a short march 

 on the day we parted. The next morning his course was 

 north-westerly, and he for the first time met some of the Masai, 

 the dreaded inhabitants of these districts — four warriors, who 

 hastened forward, eager to show the leader of the caravan a 



