I AM LEFT BEHIND AGAIN 



383 



we could not stop in such a poor district so long with the whole 

 caravan, we decided to leave a portion only there, and press on 

 with the main body to Nyemps. Some of the men left behind 

 at Subugo were to be sent to explore the Guaso Nyiro, whilst 

 those who arrived first at Nyemps were to get everything 

 ready for the further journe}^ to the unknown districts north 

 of Lake Barino-o, so that when we were once all together a^ain 

 there might be no further delays. 



All this sounded simple, but it is rare indeed for such 

 programmes to be successfully carried out, and our difficulties 

 now were greatly increased b}^ the fact that we had no map to 

 help us. Information obtained is generally untrustwoi'thy, and 

 never to be relied on at all for more than a few days' distance. 

 Out of hundreds of rumours and contradictory assertions it is 

 all but impossible to get a definite idea of what is really before 

 a caravan, and woe to the expedition the food and water supply 

 of which is uncertain. Our Expedition would without doubt 

 have been ruined a dozen times if we had not made a point of 

 being always prepared for the worst. 



A glance at our stafi" was enouo-h to convince us that we 

 should have to proceed in detachments, as with all the extra 

 food we had to carry we could not hope to take all the loads 

 on at once. So Count Teleki decided to press on two days in 

 advance with the main body, leaving me behind at Ndoro with 

 the rest of the loads and fifty men. He started on November 1. 



During my absence on Kenia, the Count had discovered 

 that the neighbouring swamp was haunted by numerous snipe, 

 and he had been able to vary the monotony of the daily diet 

 with them. I now gave up my two afternoons of waiting to 

 sport, discovering that the swamp was also extremely rich in 

 botanical treasures, including beautiful lotuses, with wild 

 flowers growing in quantities near the edge. 



I did not expect the porters who had gone with the Count 



