i FIRST EXPEDITION FROM MOMBASA 7 
while. I was seeing the caravan off in the dusk. But strange 
to say—whether because his conscience pricked him or that 
he could not sell what it was so apparent he must have stolen 
—he came back of his own accord, watch and all, a few days 
later. I forgave him, and he was a faithful and reliable man 
for the rest of the trip. 
Having had long experience of both ways of travelling, I 
prefer on the whole the Central African system of a caravan 
of porters for a hunting trip to the ox-waggons of South 
Africa. Of course the latter means of transport have many 
advantages and the others their drawbacks, and probably many 
people would disagree with my conclusion. But with the 
“ safari ” one is more mobile, independent of roads, and never 
has those terrible “ stickfasts ”—so upsetting to plans and 
tempers—to which waggons are liable. 
I have no intention of inflicting upon the reader a de¬ 
scription of the wearisome details of caravan travelling. It is 
less monotonous to go through than to read about. The 
exercise keeps you in good health, as a rule, and there is 
always something to be done which prevents the afternoons 
hanging heavily upon your hands ; while the constant change, 
even from one disagreeable camp to another, makes variety of 
a kind — never so tedious as stagnation. One soon shakes 
down to the life, and finds one’s tent as comfortable as any 
house, while in the former you can never become a nuisance to 
your neighbours. Breakfasting in the dark at 4 A.M. is trying 
to one when fresh from civilised habits, I admit; but one has 
to and does get broken in even to that, and a most important 
thing for one’s comfort during the march it is to be able to eat 
heartily at such unearthly hours. 
I had decided to make Laiju—a district on the north side 
of the Tana, and close to the foot of the Njambeni or Jambeni 
range, which is a little east of Mount Kenia—my first 
objective point, and to get as much farther north in the 
direction of Lake Rudolph as I should be able, or as circum- 
