70 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. II 



stay. It seemed healthy, food was abundant, but one 

 day's journey down-stream, and for those that do not 

 long for hills it was certainly a most beautiful spot. 



On the march to Hameye I shot a fine specimen of 

 walleri antelope. While buried in the woods, waiting 

 until my men finished the road, I was startled by the 

 crackling of bush ; when suddenly a beautiful specimen 

 of water-buck leaped past me, his horns lying along his 

 neck, and his head thrown back. In a moment he was 

 gone. I am glad I had laid my gun aside, or I should 

 have been tempted to shoot him. At 8 p.m. all the men 

 reached the river, and we camped on the shore. The 

 following day all the loads and beasts were safely ferried 

 over the stream, and the place began to look as if it had 

 been inhabited at all times, instead of having been 

 deserted for more than a year. I gave the guides pres- 

 ents, and sent them home. 



In contrast with the two weeks of work we had just 

 finished, our life at Hameye seemed a Paradise. Our 

 cup of happiness seemed filled, when we realized that 

 we had a cool roof over our heads, a stream of clear 

 water flowing at our feet, and meals consisting of good 

 food served with regularity three times daily. Camps 

 like the one at Hameye are welcome oases in the desert 

 of African travel ; but to yield to the attractions of any 

 one spot does not subserve the ends for which an 

 expedition into Africa is promoted. Onward ! Onward ! 

 is the cry ever ringing in one's ears ; so after two days 

 of this delicious idleness we began preparations for the 

 continuance of our journey. The canoes were returned 

 to the coast, as we had agreed with Sadi and the Po- 

 komo to return them as soon as we reached Hameye. 



