ONE OF OUR MEN HAS SMALL-POX 



215 



which he had found in a rain pool, and this was all he 

 had in the way of food. The guides told him where we were 

 going to camp, and at midnight he arrived. He was ordered 

 to follow the caravan at a distance, and we promised to leave 

 food and fire for him wherever we halted. More we could not 

 do under the circumstances, but I spoke to the unlucky young- 

 fellow the next morning and tried to cheer him up. We never 

 saw him again. 



On the evening of May 27 we reached the camping-place 

 of March 12. The little rocky islet near the shore had been 

 uninhabited then, but now there were a number of natives on it 

 who had evidently only just arrived, as they had not yet built 

 their huts. 



From a Burkeneji woman living with them who visited our 

 camp we learnt some news of great interest to us. Three 

 months ago she had passed through Turkana, when the natives 

 were suffering from scarcity, as the rain still held back. We 

 should, however, be able to get cattle there. She also told us 

 that the Turkana had recently passed by from a second raid in 

 Samburuland in which they had secured considerable booty, 

 and that all the people of the plundered districts, Burkeneji and 

 Eaudile alike, had combined to make an incursion on Turkana, 

 their rendezvous being situated betv^een Mounts Kulall and 

 Nyiro, which accounted for our having found no inhabitants on 

 the mountains near Lake Stefanie. 



As the landscape south of the lake presented a most dreary 

 and dried-up appearance, we questioned our visitor about the 

 rainfall, and heard that so far only a few showers had fallen on 

 three days. 



We now consulted Lembasso as to what route we should 

 take, and he advised us to go through Turkana, promising to 

 lead us, but adding that after that he would wish to return to 

 Mount Nyiro. 



