RATE OF CARAVAN MARCHING. 



363 



The rate of caravan-marching in East Africa greatly 

 varies. In cool moonlit mornings, over an open path, the 

 Pagazi will measure perhaps four miles an hour. This 

 speed is reduced by a quarter after a short " spurt," and 

 under normal, perhaps favourable, circumstances, three 

 statute miles will be the highest average. Through- 

 out the journey it is safe to reckon for an Indian file 

 of moderate length— say 150 men — 2*25 English miles, 

 or what is much the same, 1*75 geographical miles per 

 hour, measured by compass from point to point. In a 

 clear country an allowance of 20 per cent, must be 

 made for winding : in closer regions 40 — 50 per cent., 

 and the traveller must exercise his judgment in distri- 

 buting his various courses between these extremes. Mr. 

 Cooley (Inner Africa Laid Open, p. 6) a " resolute," and 

 I may add a most successful " reducer of itinerary dis- 

 tances," estimates that the ordinary clay's journey of the 

 Portuguese missionaries in West Africa never exceeded 

 six geographical miles projected in a straight line, and 

 that on rare occasions, and with effort only, it may 

 have extended to 10 miles. Dr. Lacerda's porters in 

 East Africa were terrified at the thought of marching 

 ordinarily 2*50 Portuguese leagues, or about 9 '33 statute 

 miles per day. Dr. Livingstone gives the exceedingly 

 high maximum of 2 '50 to 3 miles an hour in a straight 

 line, but his porters were lightly laden, and the 

 Makololo are apparently a far " gamer" race, more 

 sober and industrious, than the East Africans. Mr. 

 Petherick, H. M.'s Consul at Khartum, estimates his 

 gangs to have marched 3*50 miles per hour, and 

 the ordinary day's march at 8 hours. It is un- 

 doubted that the negro races north of the equator far 

 surpass in pedestrian powers their southern brethren ; 



