148 
TREKKING 
[CH. VII 
huge waggons, with their white tops or 44 sails,” were 
larger than those our own settlers and freighters used. 
Except one small one, to which there were but eight 
oxen, each was drawn by a span of seven or eight yoke ; 
they were all native humped cattle. 
We had one hundred and ninety-six porters, in addition 
to the askaris, tent-boys, gun-bearers, and saises. The 
management of such a safari is a work of difficulty ; but 
no better man for the purpose than Cuninghame could 
be found anywhere, and he had chosen his headmen 
well. In the thirst the march goes on by day and night. 
The longest halt is made in the day, for men and 
animals both travel better at night than under the 
blazing noon. We were fortunate in that it was just 
after the full of the moon, so that our night treks were 
made in good light. Of course, on such a march the 
porters must be spared as much as possible ; camp is 
not pitched, and each white man uses for the trip only 
what he wears or carries on his horse—and the horse 
also must be loaded as lightly as possible. I took 
nothing but my army overcoat, rifle and cartridges, and 
three canteens of water. Kermit did the same. 
The waggons broke camp about ten, to trek to the 
water, a mile and a half off, where the oxen would be 
outspanned to take the last drink for three days ; stock 
will not drink early in the morning nearly as freely as if 
the march is begun later. We, riding our horses, fol¬ 
lowed by the long line of burdened porters, left at 
half-past twelve, and in a couple of hours overtook the 
waggons. The porters were in high spirits. In the 
morning, before the start, they twice held regular 
dances, the chief musician being one of their own 
number who carried an extraordinary kind of native 
harp; and after their loads were allotted they marched 
