400 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



sician. It was impossible to trust him to the care of 

 negroes while he was in his helpless condition ; so 

 I sent George to accompany him as far as the mis- 

 sion station at Kibwezi. A journey from Daitcho to 

 Kibwezi would require at least a period of six weeks' 

 duration, and that time I proposed to spend in rest- 

 ing from my labours and in a study of the Masai 

 language. 



For the quick transportation of Lieutenant von 

 Hohnel twenty-five men were needed. To this num- 

 ber I decided to add eighteen porters, who, from sick- 

 ness and other causes, had proved unfit for further 

 travel in the interior. Should George succeed in 

 bringing back the twenty-five able-bodied men from 

 Kibwezi, I should then have at my disposal 1 1 2 

 thoroughly hardened, more or less disciplined, and 

 experienced men ; a force which I deemed sufiicient 

 for a prolongation of my journey into the interior. 

 With Lieutenant von Hohnel I went over the plans, 

 and we both came to the conclusion that it would 

 be possible for me, if attended by good fortune, to 

 reach either Kismayu (proceeding to that point via 

 Reschatt and the Juba River) or, under specially fav- 

 ourable circumstances, the Red Sea at Berbera. De- 

 prived of the skilled assistance of Lieutenant von 

 Hohnel, the difficulties would be greatly enhanced, 

 and the scientific results of such a journey would be 

 small in the extreme ; nevertheless, I could not for a 

 moment permit myself to consider the expedition as 

 ended. 



The difficulties and disappointments, which up to 

 this time had dogged our footsteps at every turn, 



