I 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



29 



a short siesta, and then again to the drill-ground, where 

 I gave the men a little target practice. In this work I 

 was assisted by Lieutenant von Hohnel, and sometimes 

 by George, when he was not engaged in arranging the 

 boxes and loads. 



At 2 P.M. the tomtom was sounded, and the men again 

 fell in for their rations. They were then mustered in 

 companies by George, and each man was given a quart 

 measure of millet and a bit of fish, or a measure of rice ; 

 and once a week I gave them tobacco. The Somali 

 and Soudanese received a little better food than the 

 porters. At pocho (ration) time the punishment due 

 the men was meted out. For the first few days many 

 cases of insubordination occurred, but promptness and 

 severity soon taught the men that it was better to avoid 

 giving offence. 



At 5 P.M. the cry of " Watu wa gonjwa " (sick men) 

 was heard throughout the camp. At this cry all the 

 lame, the halt, and the blind assembled round the tent of 

 Lieutenant von Hohnel, and received treatment for their 

 several ailments. Many had ulcers, and a number of 

 them had pulmonary complaints. We had a wonderful 

 medicine chest, and- Lieutenant von Hohnel proved a 

 really good physician. 



One of the greatest clangers incident to African travel- 

 is an outbreak of small-pox in one's caravan. To ob- 

 viate this dreaded disease, w^e had taken with us a large 

 quantity of vaccine. With this we vaccinated one and 

 all of our men ; but without producing the slightest 

 result. During our stay at Mkonumbi one of our por- 

 ters died of some loathsome skin disease. His friends 

 refused to have anything to do with him, saying that he 



