" MEN KISS AN ASS FOE AN OBJECT." 



219 



to be so burdened; moreover, whatever measures one 

 attempted with the porters, the other did his best to 

 thwart. " Men," say the Persians, " kiss an ass for an ob- 

 ject." I attempted with Kidogo that sweet speech which, 

 according to Orientals, is stronger than chains, and ad- 

 ministered " goose's oil " in such quantities that I was 

 graciously permitted to make an arrangement for the 

 transport of my companion with the Kirangozi. 



On the 14th September, our tempers being sensibly 

 cooled by the weather, we left the hill-top and broke 

 ground upon the counterslope or landward descent of 

 the Usagara Mountains. Following a narrow footpath 

 that wound along the hill-flanks, on red earth growing 

 thick clumps of cactus and feathery mimosa, after 

 forty-five minutes' march we found a kraal in a swampy 

 green gap, bisected by a sluggish rivulet that irrigated 

 scanty fields of grain, gourds, and water-melons, the 

 property of distant villagers. For the first time since 

 many days I had strength enough to muster the porters 

 and to inspect their loads. The outfit, which was ex- 

 pected to last a year, had been half exhausted in three 

 months. I summoned Said bin Salim, and passed on to 

 him my anxiety. Like a veritable Arab, he declared, 

 without the least emotion, that we had enough to reach 

 Unyanyembe, where we certainly should be joined by the 

 escort of twenty-two porters. " But how do you know 

 that ? " I inquired. " Allah is all-knowing," replied 

 Said ; " but the caravan will come." Such fatalism is 

 infectious. I ceased to think upon the subject. 



On the 15th September, after sending forward the 

 luggage, and waiting as agreed upon for the return of 

 the porters to carry my companion, I set out about 

 noon, through hot sunshine tempered by the cool hill- 

 breeze. Emerging from the grassy hollow, the path 

 skirted a well-wooded hill and traversed a small savan- 



