204 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
constant motion about our ears and over our heads 
with our hands ; [but this did not prevent us from 
being inoculated in a thousand places with the poison- 
ous juices of our bitter little foe. Wild beasts growled 
louder than ever, though I question if the greater 
bulk of our party heard them ; for in the estima- 
tion of most we were fleeing from much wilder men, 
and this was all they could think of For a con- 
siderable distance we had to splash our way through 
water knee deep, but at length we were pressing 
through it, seriously entangled with weeds, up to our 
very necks ! Now, carrying everything in our uplifted 
hands and upon our heads, and unable to protect our- 
selves against mosquitos, they settled upon us and 
drunk our blood to their full. Night though it was, 
they clouded our eyes, filled our ears, and plugged our 
nostrils — buzz, buzz, buzzing, as though in triumph at 
our hapless state. Emerging from this slough of de- 
spond we at length stood upon dry ground, — a small 
island in the midst of the marsh. Proceeding a few 
paces the Gallas halted, and turning to us said. We 
must wait here till morning/' " Why not go on V 
" We can't," was the reply ; too much water ahead 
until the morning we are safe here." 
Imagine our condition if you can. There we were 
in the dead of the night, in the country of a people 
dreaded by all others in East Africa as a most 
treacherous and bloodthirsty race, and, as we sup- 
posed, pursued by a horde of savages vastly more 
to be dreaded than they. There we were on a small 
mound of dry ground, in the midst of a deep morass, 
soaked to our very skin, and dripping from head to 
foot. Mosquitos I will not mention here ; I am tired 
