IX 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



425 



SO I sent a party of men across the river to Ukam- 

 bani, to purchase as many goats as possible from the 

 natives of that country. While they were gone, five 

 Zanzibari turned up at Daitcho. These men were 

 members of the caravan from which George had pur- 

 chased donkeys in Ukambani. They had left their 

 companions at Njemps, in order that they might pick 

 up some ivory they had left at Daitcho. 



I spent many hours chatting with them about the 

 journey they had just accomplished. They stated 

 that under the leadership of an Arab, named Abdu- 

 rachman, they had set out two years before from 

 Mombasa 400 strong. They had journeyed via 

 Kikuyu, and passing these people had continued 

 their march, until they finally reached the country of 

 the Donyiro. From there the party had crossed the 

 country of the Reschatt, and had even passed as far 

 north as the Buma Murle, the people first visited by 

 Count Teleki and Lieutenant von Hohnel on their 

 journey. They had a little fighting on the road, 

 having been attacked once or twice in the Buma 

 Murle country. They were also attacked just before 

 leaving Donyiro on their homeward march ; but on 

 the whole had not had more fighting than usually 

 falls to the lot of the ill-governed and irregular cara- 

 vans the Arabs lead. They said there was much 

 ivory to the north, particularly in the Donyiro coun- 

 try, and among people called by them Mortunye, who 

 inhabited a part of the country two days' march 

 beyond the Donyiro. From these the caravan had 

 bought 12,000 pounds of ivory; and as they had 

 never before been visited by a trading caravan, the 



