XI 



TRAVELS m EASTERN AFRICA 



513 



that all his cash was kept in a strongly built house in 

 the main town ; and that at night it would be un- 

 safe to send for it, as the road was filled with 

 marauders. 



After a long talk I succeeded in getting an order 

 on his bankers for the amount I wished ; and then, 

 hailing a couple of night-hawk cabs, the entire party 

 of us set off for the town, which we reached at 3 a.m. 

 I spent two hours in smoking and chatting with my 

 men, and at 5 a.m. I took the liberty of awakening 

 the American Consul, whom to my great joy I found 

 to be Mr. Jones, formerly Consul at Zanzibar. He 

 was kindness itself, and sent a couple of Sepoys with 

 my order upon the bank, who soon returned bearing 

 between them a great bag of rupees. I shall never 

 forget the scene which closed my relations with these 

 men, who had remained faithful to me throughout 

 the trials of so many long months. They were paid 

 off in one of the large rooms of our Consul's house. 

 The bag of rupees had been emptied upon a rug in 

 the centre of the apartment, and a little white moun- 

 tain of silver, illumined by the rays of the rising sun, 

 greeted the eyes of my followers. 



Mr. Jones spoke Arabic as fluently as he did Eng- 

 lish, and that language was familiar to both the Sou- 

 danese and the Somali. The names of the men were 

 called in turn ; the number of months they had served 

 was stated to them ; the amount of advance money 

 received by each was mentioned ; and after each state- 

 ment, Mr. Jones paused, until the man who was being 

 paid endorsed it by a silent nod, or the word " Taib " 

 (Good). When the account of wages due each man 

 2 L 



