VI 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



225 



of her age would be forced to satisfy herself with the 

 position of a slave. 



During the first month of our stay at Daitcho, all 

 the donkeys we had brought with us from Hameye 

 died. Their sickness appeared to be a species of lock- 

 jaw, but we were never able to discover its origin ; 

 though, doubtless, it was the same complaint which 

 carried off our other animals at Hameye. We took 

 the greatest care of our animals ; made good stables 

 for them, to protect them from the rain, and pastured 

 them only in places where the grass seemed suitable 

 for them. Notwithstanding all our efforts, we not 

 only lost all those we brought from Hameye, but 

 also the donkeys which came from the Embe died 

 shortly after they were purchased. We knew that we 

 should be absolutely unable to proceed further without 

 beasts of burden ; for the country through which our 

 journey would lie offered no food supply except game, 

 and our porters were but sufficient in number to carry 

 our trading-goods. 



Several times we called Bykender, and explained to 

 him our needs. He told us that the Embe were un- 

 willing to sell us anything, and in fact had threatened 

 the Daitcho with all sorts of destruction, because they 

 permitted us to live in their territory. He said the 

 only thing for us to do was to ascend the mountain, 

 camp in the Embe territory, and there purchase as 

 many donkeys as we needed ; that he was convinced 

 the climate of the Daitcho country was entirely un- 

 suited in the rainy season for animals of any sort; 

 and for that reason, if no other, the Daitcho were 

 unable to keep cattle. 

 Q 



