56 Seven Years in Central Africa. [Sept. 
would simply take up their weapons and march off without even 
giving me warning. The last six weeks of almost constant travel- 
ling on foot, through a rough and sandy country, has reduced me 
to a bit of bone and muscle — a sort of walking machine. Yet 
I enjoy the greatest natural blessing, perfect health. I am 
writing this when I ought to be sleeping, but hope to snatch 
time on the way down to the river to write more. 
Quite a famine is raging; all over the country people are 
dying of starvation. It has often been hard to get food, and 
I have lived mostly on the flesh of game dried in the sun. 
OVERTAKEN BY FEVER ON THE WAY. 
September i^tk. — Started again for Shesheke, feeling a little 
unwell ; as we went on, matters did not improve, and my men 
grew very troublesome. For most of the road, as I have said, 
there is no water, and my carriers seized all the water we had and 
demanded payment for it from me. Setobi was getting sick. At 
last, on the second day, after having gone about forty miles 
through the desert, I had to he down, and very soon became 
unconscious. I was by this time in a high fever. The men 
went on and left me and Setobi, who was as helpless as myself. 
My boy, only about thirteen years of age, hastened back to 
Panda- ma-tenka, and told Mr. Blockley. All this time I lay 
rolling about on the ground under a fearful sun, scarcely knowing 
anything, only feeling excessively ill from fever and thirst. On 
the morning of the third day I heard the distant shouts of a 
waggon driver. Help and water had come, and they lifted 
me into the waggon, and started again for Panda-ma-tenka."^' 
Panda-ma-tenka, September 2^th. — I have had a sharp illness. 
The Zambesi fever is peculiar to this part, and it acts very 
quickly ; after the first attack it is usually very mild. It is well 
that I have had it before going up the river. 
The time spent out in the desert, lying under a hot sun, with 
no fire at night, was trying, yet it was not without profit. What 
* This is a wonderful example of the kindness and thoughtfulness these 
people can exercise. Had it not been for the prompt action of that little 
lad of thirteen in starting back to Panda-ma-tenka, through a country infested 
with wild animals, in order to bring help to me I should, humanly speaking, 
have perished in the desert. 
