284 DEPARTURE FROM ZANZIBAR. 



made. Cogent reasons, however, compelled me 

 to move quamprimum, and evidently delay, even 

 for a week, might have been fatal to my project. 

 Lieut. -Col, Hamerton's health rapidly declined : 

 he was compelled to lead the life of a recluse, 

 and his ever-increasing weakness favoured the 

 cause of our ill-wishers. Local politics became 

 more confused, and the succession troubles more 

 imminent, whilst the Sayyid's Government, de- 

 ceived by our silence during the rains into a 

 belief that the Panga-ni fever had cooled our 

 ardour, lost all interest in the enterprise, and 

 required to be aroused from its apathy by a stiff 

 reminder. 



My old friend, the late Mr James Macqueen, 

 has declared that the expedition was ' organized 

 upon erroneous and fallacious principles — with 

 large parties of armed men, with numerous attend- 

 ants, and extensive supplies.' I can reply only 

 that my model was the normal coast-caravan, and 

 certainly with less apparatus we should have 

 made less progress. We were not, however, 

 favoured by fortune ; and, as Baron Melchior de 



season varies to some extent at every part ; but, as a rule, to 

 March and April add May and June, and for September read 

 November and December. Dr Krapf is less incorrect (Travels, 

 &c., p. 421) ; IM. Guillain is equally so (vol. iii. 374). 



