CHAP. VIII.] 
RETURN TO OREO. 
223 
The loss of my horse “ Filfil'' was a severe blow in 
this wild region, where beasts of burthen were un¬ 
known, and I had slight hopes of his recovery, as lions 
were plentiful in the country between Obbo and 
Farajoke ; however, I offered a reward of beads and 
bracelets, and a number of natives were sent by the 
chief to scour the jungles. 
There was little use in remaining at Farajoke, there¬ 
fore I returned to Obbo with my men and donkeys, 
accomplishing the whole distance (thirty miles) in one 
day. 
I was very anxious about Mrs. Baker, who had been 
the representative of the expedition at Obbo during 
my absence. 
Upon my approach through the forest, my well- 
known whistle was immediately answered by the 
appearance of the boy Saat, who, without any greeting, 
immediately rushed to the hut to give the intelligence 
that “ Master was arrived/' 
I found my wife looking remarkably well, and regu¬ 
larly installed “ at home/' Several fat sheep were tied 
by the legs to pegs in front of the hut; a number of 
fowls were pecking around the entrance, and my wife 
awaited me on the threshold with a large pumpkin 
shell containing about a gallon of native beer. “ Dulce 
domum," although but a mud hut, the loving welcome 
made it happier than a palace; and that draught of 
beer, or fermented mud, or whatever trash it might be 
compared with in England, how delicious it seemed 
after a journey of thirty miles in the broiling sun ! 
and the fat sheep and the fowls all looked so luxurious. 
Alas !—for destiny—my arrival cut short the existence 
of one being; what was joy to some was death to a 
sheep, and in a few moments the fattest was slain in 
honour of master's return, and my men were busily 
employed in preparing it for a general feast. 
Numbers of people gathered round me ; foremost 
among them was the old chief Katchiba, whose self- 
satisfied countenance exhibited an extreme purity of 
