28 
MULE DISEASE. 
fatal to the mules and donkeys. Speke and our Tots 
would have known a tzetze fly had they seen one, 
and we therefore concluded that their deaths must have 
been caused by their eating deleterious grasses, for they 
lived on what they could themselves pick up, having 
neither corn nor hay. Here are the notes on one case : 
"30th Dec. '60. — Mule (the last red one) swollen 
all over the body for the last two days ; breathing 
thickly ; discoloured water oozing from the body ; 
on making incisions, blood and water came freely; 
not relieved ; half of tail cut off ; no blood, only 
water came ; on pressing the body with thumb, the 
impression remains. Miracle if he recovers" — which 
he never did. The donkeys had much more spirit 
than the mules. We lost only three out of five dur- 
ing the march, though overladen with bundles, pots, 
and kettles. The wild zebra and donkeys mingled and 
fraternised by distant neighs. 
Some of the daily incidents seemed so strange and 
interesting to me that I noted them rather fully, and 
think a few quotations from the Journal now and 
then may not be unacceptable. Extract : "8 th Nov. 
'60. — Peters reported ill yesterday ; teeth clenched, 
eyes rolling, body rigid, pulse 120; wouldn't speak; 
had been asleep in the sun. I recommended bleeding. 
To-day he had ridden the march on a donkey, but could 
not sit up ; had to be lashed to the beast. He now 
lay on the ground seemingly unconscious, his stomach 
violently heaving. At 3 p.m. the caravan was under 
way again. Lashed Peters on the saddle like a 
Mazeppa ! Fever still upon me." " November 9th. — 
c The man is dead/ said the corporal, while we were 
busy painting. We were all shocked. He had died 
