172 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



my great satisfaction, that the SomaH and Soudanese 

 appeared to be accustomed to the cattle-punching 

 business, and were able to drive the wildest cow 

 along with comparative ease. 



Before setting out on the march I released the old 

 native I had captured, and sent him to a large band of 

 warriors I had noticed upon one of the surrounding 

 hills, with the following message : " Tell your people 

 that they have now learned the futility of harassing the 

 white man and his caravan upon the march ; that they 

 must be convinced of our power and strength, and of 

 the further fact, that our medicine was better than theirs. 

 That we felt we had inflicted sufficient punishment upon 

 them for their ill-treatment of us, and for the dastardly 

 manner in which they had massacred the Zanzibari cara- 

 van some years before. That we were unwilling to de- 

 stroy any more of their tribe; and, as we had already 

 supplied ourselves with sufficient food for the journey, 

 they could rest content that we would no longer remove 

 even a single grain from their plantations, or one head 

 of cattle from their kraals. That it was our intention 

 to march peacefully through their territory, and so it 

 would be wise for their warriors not to harass us upon 

 the march. However, should they prove deaf to this 

 warning, and repeat their attacks upon us, we would 

 again make use of our mighty medicine, lay w^aste their 

 country, and wipe the tribe of Wamsara off the face of 

 the earth." 



The old man was delighted to escape, and set off 

 in the direction indicated. From subsequent events I 

 doubt very much whether he delivered the message. 



Our condition at the time of sending this message 



