262 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



We discovered that there had been present, during 

 the ceremony of muma-making, a representative sent 

 by Donytuh, the great mechcine-man ; which proved 

 his desire to enter into bonds of friendship with the 

 Europeans. We rewarded him for this by sending him 

 a large present; and thought it was with this possible 

 end in view that his representative was sent to attend 

 the treaty-making. 



The next day we returned to Daitcho, and again 

 found the difference in the air very noticeable. Dait- 

 cho is but 2500 feet above sea-level, while the Embe 

 country is 5000. We there found the Zanzibari expe- 

 dition of thirty men returned from their venture among 

 the Wanderobbo. They reported that ill luck had 

 attended them throughout the journey; that all their 

 donkeys had died, and they were forced to eat the food. 

 Doubt of the truth of their statement was removed 

 when we observed their fat and sleek appearance. 

 They wished me to give them a letter to their master 

 at the coast, in testimony of the efforts they had made 

 to earn large sums; and were very much surprised when 

 I declined. I have no doubt that their meeting with 

 their masters at the coast was a stormy one. 



We spent the next two or three days in preparations 

 for our departure. Our long stay at Daitcho had 

 enabled us to purchase and lay in a supply of food 

 sufficient for nearly forty days for the entire caravan. 

 Most of this was in flour. 



The day before our departure George arrived with 

 thirty-seven donkeys ; thirty of these were loaded with 

 food. We took with us ten loads of various trading- 

 goods — flannel blankets, Scotch shawls, the most 



