382 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



them ; and complaining that he had not received his por- 

 tion of food, came to me for dismissal, which was granted, 

 but not accepted. The Jemadar required for himself 

 and the escort a porter per man. When this was 

 refused, he changed his tactics, and began to lament 

 bitterly the unavoidable delay. He annoyed me with 

 ceaseless visits, which were spent in harping upon the 

 one string, " When do we march ?" At last I forbade 

 all allusion to the subject. In wrath he demanded leave, 

 declaring that he had not come to settle in Africa, and 

 much " excessiveness " to the same effect. He was at 

 last brought to his senses by being summarily turned 

 out of the house for grossly insulting my companion. 

 A reaction then ensued ; the Baloch professed penitence, 

 and all declared themselves ready to march or to halt 

 as I pleased. Yet, simulating impatience to depart, they 

 clung to the pleasures of Kazeh ; they secretly caused 

 the desertion of the porters, and they never ceased to 

 spread idle reports, vainly hoping that I might be in- 

 duced to return to the coast. 



Finally, Said bin Salim fulfilled at Kazeh Lieut.-Col. 

 Hamerton's acute prophecy. The Bukini blood of his 

 mother — a Malagash slave — got the better of his Omani 

 descent. I had long reformed my opinion concerning 

 his generosity and kindheartedness, hastily concluded 

 during a short cruise along the coast. " Man's heart," 

 say the Arabs, " is known only in the fray, and man's 

 head is known only on the way." But though high- 

 flown sentiment and studied courtesy had disappeared 

 with the first days of hardship and fatigue, he preserved 

 for a time the semblance of respectability and respect. 

 Presently, like the viler orders of Orientals, he pre- 

 sumed upon his usefulness, and his ability to forward 

 the Expedition ; the farther we progressed from our 



