FAMINE NEAR LAKE NAIVASHA 



43 



and the few beans he was able to obtain. With infinite trouble 

 he managed to scrape together as much as 128 loads, when, 

 feeling it was useless to try and get more, he decided to turn 

 back. On his way to Lake Naivasha, he jDassed the now de- 

 serted camps of the traders, in one of which were two porters at 

 death's door from want of food. One he helped and took on with 

 him, the other was too weak to be moved, and was reluctantly 

 left to die. On the site of the other camp were the half-burned 

 corpses of two more men who had probably been left behind 

 in a dying condition, and had perished when the Masai set fire 

 to the camp after the traders had left. If such was the case 

 at the beginning of the return march to the coast, we can 

 imagine how many corpses would later mark the course of 

 these luckless caravans. In spite of this terrible warning, 

 however, nine of Qualla's men went off here, each with a load 

 of from 78 to 88 lb. of grain. 



One of the runaways died soon after, and a second returned 

 in a hopeless condition. But all troubles were over now, and 

 the eyes of the hollow-cheeked wanderers brightened indeed 

 when they noted the plentiful food in our camp. Fortunately 

 Count Teleki had shot five bufialoes, two quite near by, the very 

 day of their arrival, and there remained one clear day for them 

 to rest before the}^ would have to go back to Nyemps. 



Qualla had brought back with him 106 loads of food, which 

 would be just enough for our further journey, but must on no 

 account be touched before that. Many of the men were, how- 

 ever, so weak that we could not hope to start immediately, 

 and should have to remain some little time longer by the 

 Guaso Nyuki. Now began an arduous time for Count Teleki, 

 who was responsible for feeding the whole caravan, and he 

 was compelled every day to bring down a certain number of 

 bij? animals, such as buffaloes or rhinoceroses. This went on 

 until February 3, the hunting being at first confined to a narrow 



