VII 
SECOND EXPEDITION 
145 
path, followed by three chickens. On meeting me the latter 
ran into the grass, and it was touching to see their little 
mistress stop and alternately coax and scold them till they 
came out and followed her again. I suppose she had no lamb 
to make a pet of, so she did the best her circumstances would 
allow to emulate her elders. 
In Ukambani the women milk the cows. They do it in an 
awkward manner, as if cattle-owning was not their natural 
pursuit. One hand only is used to milk with, while the vessel 
is held in the other, the operator standing the while. A 
clumsier method of milking I never saw. 
Mtiya’s are the last villages of Ukambani towards the 
Tana, on this route, and some thirty miles south of the river. 
It is about a month’s caravan journey from Mombasa hither ; 
and, having been delayed two or three days to buy food on 
the road, we did not arrive till 20th June. 
I was disappointed, though not surprised, to hear, on reach¬ 
ing Mtiya’s, that the Tana was still too full to cross. I deter¬ 
mined, however, to go on and camp on its banks myself, while 
Abdulla remained to buy a large supply of food, to be taken 
with us whenever we might be able to proceed. I was delayed 
a week, making “ shauris ” about market prices and various 
other matters—all such diplomatic treating is matter of time 
in Africa—and making all other preparations and arrangements 
needed in connection with our further progress, before parting 
with Abdulla. My plan was to have all our loads carried by 
the porters to the river, while I waited there, in order that, 
when the time came for crossing, we might get our donkeys 
through this “ fly ” belt as quickly as possible. 
Having finished sorting and arranging the loads and seen 
the food trade fairly started and in full swing, I started on 
for the Tana, on 27th June, with the bulk of the caravan, 
carrying as many loads as they could take, and left Abdulla 
with two or three men in charge of the remainder of the goods 
and the donkeys. From Mtiya’s to the river is a good thirty 
L 
