DELAY THE SECOND. 



water and skimming off what appears upon the sur- 

 face. The Arabs, more sensibly, prefer it " cold- 

 drawn." These plants, allowed to grow unpruned, 

 often attain the height of eighteen to twenty feet. 



The 30th June was another forced halt, when I tasted 

 all the bitterness that can fall to the lot of those who 

 explore regions unvisited by their own colour. The 

 air of Bomani is stagnant, the sun fiery, and clouds of 

 mosquitoes make the nights miserable. Despite these 

 disadvantages, it is a favourite halting-place for up- 

 caravans, who defer to the last the evil days of long 

 travel and short rations. Though impressed with the 

 belief, that the true principle of exploration in these 

 lands is to push on as rapidly and to return as leisurely 

 as possible, I could not persuade the Baloch to move. 

 In Asia, two departures usually suffice ; in Africa there 

 must be three, — the little start, the great start, and the 

 start xolt s£op£7jy. Some clamoured for tobacco — I gave 

 up my cavendish ; others for guitar-strings — they were 

 silenced with beads ; and all, born donkey-drivers, 

 complained loudly of the hardship and the indignity of 

 having to load and lead an ass. The guide, an influential 

 Mzaramo, promised by the Banyans Ladha and Ramji, 

 declined, after receiving twenty dollars, to accompany the 

 Expedition, and from his conduct the Baloch drew the 

 worst of presages. Much ill-will was shown by them 

 towards the European members of the Expedition. 

 " Kafir end, inara bandira na khenen" (they are infidels 

 and must not carry our flag) — it was inscribed with the 

 usual Moslem formula — was spoken audibly enough in 

 their debased Mekrani to reach my ears : a faithful 

 promise to make a target of the first man who might 

 care to repeat the words, stopped that manner of 

 nuisance. Again the most childish reports flew about 



VOL. I. E 



