CHAPTER VI 



During our absence up-country, the men we had 

 sent to the coast had returned. They had captured 

 two runaways and brought with them two Gallas, one 

 to take our letters back to the coast, and the other 

 to accompany us as interpreter, should we meet with 

 Galla farther up-country. 



These men reported that they had seen a large 

 expedition at our camp in Mkonumbi, in charge of 

 Captain Villiers, of the Guards, and two other officers. 

 They said they had seen 200 Somali and 150 Abys- 

 sinians, and that preparations were being made for an 

 expedition on a gigantic scale. We rejoiced that we 

 had 200 miles' start of this expedition ; for although 

 Africa is a large place, there never seems to be room 

 for two expeditions to work in the same part of it. 

 It happened, however, that this expedition under Cap- 

 tain Villiers met with a variety of mishaps, and was 

 prevented from ever getting more than six days' 

 march from the coast. 



During our absence from Hameve Georo-e had em- 

 ployed the men in improving the zeriba and cultivat- 

 ing a twenty-acre plantation of corn and millet. The 

 grain was not then ripe, but we knew it would prove 

 a boon to our friends the Pokomo. The reduction of 

 the number of our camels to five was a serious loss : 



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