XII 
LAKE RUDOLPH 
271 
Swahilis are very fond of zebra meat, especially when fat 
(and they do get very fat), so there was great rejoicing in camp 
at the news of my success, and more so still when I announced 
that in consequence of this windfall we would rest a day here. 
This would enable the men to partially dry a quantity of meat, 
so that they could carry much more, as in the dry air the 
strips soon part with a large proportion of their moisture and 
become very much lighter. As it was not very far from camp, 
and in the perfectly open country the place would be easy to 
find, I had left Juma (who had been with me) to begin skinning 
while I brought word myself; and on my calling for volunteers 
nearly every one set off eagerly in the direction I pointed out. 
The meat was all brought in by sundown and soon distributed 
among the various “ messes.” (For it is always better to have 
this done by the headman, in camp, to avoid quarrelling and 
unfair division.) 
In the morning a strange Swahili turned up at our camp. 
This was a surprise, as Swahili caravans hardly ever visit this 
region (the few that have reached Reshiat went round to the 
west of the lake, and only very large parties venture so far). 
Our visitor explained that he belonged to a small party of 
Swahili traders who were on their way back from the north end 
of the lake, and were then encamped a short distance away. 
They had heard my shots in the afternoon, and he had 
come on to see who it was. Later the whole caravan arrived, 
and camped near us. There were only some thirty of them, 
and it appeared that they had followed us from the coast with 
the intention of asking my permission to travel in company with 
my caravan ; but while we were at El Bogoi they had passed up 
by another route and come on, supposing us to be in front of 
them, until they met Dr. Donaldson Smith’s party, and had 
then followed his track back to Kere and Magu, up the river 
which runs into the lake from the north. They were now on 
their way to the coast. They said their trading had not been 
a success, but gave us a lot of useful information about the 
