184 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
tation through which we saw them, only heightened 
the fears of my men as to the dangers which filled the 
prospect. 
Within seven days the boat was ready, and strength- 
ened for a rough sea life. Provisions of flour and 
dried fish, bales of cloth and beads of various kinds, 
odds and ends of small possible necessaries were boxed, 
and she was declared, at last, to be only waiting for 
her crew. “ Would any one volunteer to accompany 
me ? ” A dead silence ensued. “ Not for rewards and 
extra pay ? ” Another dead silence : no one would 
volunteer. 
“Yet I must,” said I, “depart. Will you let me go 
alone % ” 
“No.” 
“ What then ? Show me my braves — those men who 
freely enlist to follow their master round the sea.” 
All were again dumb. Appealed to individually, 
each said he knew nothing of sea life ; each man 
frankly declared himself a terrible coward on water. 
“ Then, what am I to do ? ” 
Manwa Sera said : — 
“ Master, have done with these questions. Command 
your party. All your people are your children, and 
they will not disobey you. While you ask them as 
a friend, no one will offer his services. Command them, 
and they will all go.” 
So I selected a chief, Wadi Safeni — the son of Safeni 
— and told him to pick out the elect of the young men. 
Wadi Safeni chose men who knew nothing of boat life. 
Then I called Kacheche, the detective, and told him 
to ascertain the names of those young men who were 
accustomed to sea life, upon which K ached- he informed 
me that the young guides first selected by me at 
Bagamoyo were the sailors of the Expedition. After 
reflecting upon the capacities of the younger men, as 
they had developed themselves on the road, I made 
a list of ten sailors and a steersman, to whose fidelity 
[ was willing to entrust myself and fortunes while 
coasting round the Victorian Sea. 
