I 



284 THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



van at full speed, and I was fortunate enough to 

 bring them down with one shot each from my Win- 

 chester. They were very welcome, for the men could 

 cook them without exhausting my little store of water. 

 We waited over an hour for Lieutenant von Hbhnel 

 to turn up with the cattle and donkeys. He reported 

 that he had had a rather exciting adventure a few 

 miles back. While walking slowly along, accompanied 

 by but a few men, he suddenly found himself sur- 

 rounded by about 100 savages, with arrows strung in 

 their bows and pointed at his little party. He at 

 once fired a shot into the air as a signal to the 

 advance caravan, but we were too far away to hear it 

 He momentarily expected the natives to discharge 

 their arrow^s ; but finally, when one of the natives 

 addressed him in fair Swahili, he was greatly relieved. 

 They proved to be a party of Wakamba (a tribe inhab- 

 iting the country between the Tana and the coast), 

 who had been away for several months upon an ivory- 

 hunting expedition, and were then homeward bound. 

 At first they seemed inclined to attempt the capture 

 of the cattle, but a few words from Lieutenant von 

 Hohnel turned them from this purpose, and they left 

 him in peace. 



The Zanzibari is not at all fit for work in a desert 

 country. So slight is his self-control, that he is 

 unable to resist the temptation to drink what water 

 he may have with him, as soon as he is thirsty. 

 When they have exhausted their water supply, it is 

 with the greatest difficulty that they can be induced 

 to continue the march. We always warned them to 

 be sparing of their water, and as each man carried a 



