278 



THEOUGH TUEKANA AND SUK 



In spite of the continuous downpour of rain natives soon 

 began to come in, and tliougli the Count was too tired to 

 receive them he had an unusual number of presents given to 

 them. . The next day we renlained where we were, sending 

 Qualla with a few men to the kraal with different articles 

 of barter to try and open a market with the natives. They 

 soon returned, having accomplished next to nothing. The 

 people of the village offered to let us have two oxen, one in 

 exchange for some medicine to cure the prevailing murrain 

 amongst the cattle, the other for a she-ass. They did not mean 

 to trade further with us. 



This was our position after living for nine and twenty days 

 on berries, weeds, half-ripe figs, acacia resin, birds' nests, 

 mushrooms, and unripe dhurra ! Our powers of self-denial 

 were exhausted at last, and we had to save the lives of our two 

 hundred men at whatever cost to ourselves or others. 



There could no longer be any doubt as to what we ought 

 to do. We must take the cattle we needed from the natives 

 by force, and the only thing to be considered was how to do 

 so in the least offensive manner. We finally decided upon the 

 following plan. To begin with we shifted our camp higher up 

 the mountain and nearer the village, discovering in so doing 

 that one-third of our men were almost too weak to move. The 

 caravan was then divided into two parts ; the strongest of the 

 men, nineteen in all, were to be left in camp with Qualla, who 

 was to make a raid upon the natives, whilst the rest were to 

 go on with the Count. 



To relieve the weakest of the porters, the thirty donkeys 

 without loads were provided with Somal pack-saddles, which 

 were stitched up as quickly as possible. The loads were trans- 

 ferred to them, and the suffering men were sent on well in 

 advance to be out of the way in case of reprisals. 



Early the next morning we proceeded to carry out this 



