66 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



Pyrenees, with green palmetto-leaves; in preparing 

 calabash fibre for fatilah or gun-matches, and in twisting 

 cords for the asses. The best material is supplied by an 

 aloetic plant, the Hig or Haskul of Somaliland, here 

 called by the Arabs Bag, and by the natives Mukonge. 

 The Mananazi, or pine-apple, grows wild as far as three 

 marches from the coast, but its fibrous qualities are 

 unknown to the people. Ismail, the invalid Baloch, was 

 the worse for remedies ; and two other men gave signs 

 of breaking down. 



During the first week, creeping along at a slug's 

 pace, we heard the booming of the Artemise's evening 

 gun, an assurance that refuge was at hand. Presently 

 these reports ceased. Lieut. -Colonel Hamerton, seized 

 with mortal sickness, had left Kaole suddenly, and he 

 died on board the Artemise on the 5th July, shortly 

 after his return to Zanzibar. The first letters announ- 

 cing the sad event were lost : with characteristic African 

 futility the porter despatched with the parcel from the 

 island, finding that the Expedition had passed on to the 

 mountains of Usagara, left his charge with a village 

 headman, and returned to whence he came. Easterns 

 still hold that 



" Though it be honest, it is never good, 

 To bring bad news." 



The report, spread by a travelling trader, was discussed 

 throughout the camp, but I was kept in ignorance of it 

 till Khudabakhsh, a Baloch, who had probably been 

 deputed by his brethren to ascertain what effect the 

 decease of the consul would have upon me, " hardened 

 his heart," and took upon himself the task of communi- 

 cating the evil intelligence. I was uncertain what to 

 believe. Said bin Salim declared, when consulted, that 



