464 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



hut with Mwalim Hamis, the porter I had made 

 headman, who acted as leader of the porters when 

 they deserted, and went to Hamidi. He said that 

 about 3.30 A.M. on the day when the porters deserted, 

 Mwalim Hamis awakened him and said, " Get your 

 things ready ; we are all going to the coast. Hamidi 

 has sent me word not to leave a single man behind." 

 Gilo refused to go. 



He swore that these words of Mwalim Hamis con- 

 veyed the first intelligence he had of the porters' 

 plans ; and he thought not more than four or five of 

 the men had known anything of the planned deser- 

 tion, until notified a few hours before they took their 

 leave. 



Gilo said that when he first heard the words from 

 Mwalim Hamis, he thought he would come at once 

 and tell me of the plans ; but that he was afraid he 

 would be discovered and killed by the porters. 



Some of the traders came to me, and told me they 

 knew the desertion had been planned, but that they 

 were accustomed to such rumours about caravans, and 

 had attached no importance to it. The traders at 

 this time were having almost daily squabbles with 

 the Daitcho ; so I was forced to interpose to prevent 

 trouble. Our only safety lay in maintaining the 

 friendliest relations with the Daitcho, as they would 

 then warn us of any proposed attack upon us, under- 

 taken by the Embe or some other neighbouring tribe. 



On January 27, Hussein Mahomet, the Soudanese, 

 came to me, and after repeating his former statement, 

 added that on the day of their desertion, while on 

 the march to the river, Moussa told him that Hamidi 



