88 
EXPEDITION RUINED. 
[chap. III. 
at the same time they should not drive me out of the 
country. I had abundance of stores and ammunition, 
and now that my men had deserted me, I had suffi¬ 
cient corn to supply my small party for twelve months; 
I had also a quantity of garden-seeds, that I had 
brought with me in the event of becoming a prisoner 
in the country ; I should therefore make a zareeba or 
camp at Gondokoro, and remain there until I should 
receive men and supplies in the following season. 
I now felt independent, having preserved my depot 
of corn. I was at least proof against famine for 
twelve months. Koorshid endeavoured to persuade 
me that my party of only a man and a boy would be 
certainly insulted and attacked by the insolent natives 
of the Bari tribe should I remain alone at Gondokoro 
after the departure of the traders’ parties. I told him 
that I preferred the natives to the traders’ people, and 
that I was resolved ; I merely begged him to lend me 
one of his little slave boys as an interpreter, as I had 
no means of communicating with the natives. This 
he promised to do. 
After Koorshid’s departure, we sat silently for some 
minutes, both my wife and I occupied by the same 
thoughts. 
No expedition had ever been more carefully planned; 
everything had been well arranged to insure success. 
My transport animals were in good condition ; their 
saddles and pads had been made under my own inspec¬ 
tion ; my arms, ammunition, and supplies were abun¬ 
dant, and I was ready to march at five minutes’ notice 
to any part of Africa; but the expedition, so costly, 
and so carefully organized, was completely ruined by 
the very people whom I had engaged to protect it. 
They had not only deserted, but they had conspired to 
murder There was no law in these wild regions but 
brute force ; human life was of no value; murder was 
a pastime, as the murderer could escape all punishment. 
Mr. Petherick’s vakeel had just been shot dead by one 
of his own men, and such events were too common to 
