CHAPTER X. 
LIFE AT OBBO. 
For months we dragged on a miserable existence 
at Obbo, wrecked by fever; the quinine ‘exhausted ; 
thus the disease worried me almost to death, returning 
at intervals of a few days. Fortunately my wife did 
not suffer so much as I did. I had nevertheless pre¬ 
pared for the journey south ; and as travelling on foot 
would have been impossible in our weak state, I had 
purchased and trained three oxen in lieu of horses. 
They were named “ Beef,” “ Steaks,” and “ Suet.” 
“Beef” was a magnificent animal, but having been 
bitten by the flies, he so lost his condition that I 
changed his name to “ Bones.” We were ready to 
start, and the natives reported that early in January 
the Asua would be fordable. I had arranged with 
Ibrahim that he should supply me with porters for 
payment in copper bracelets, and that he should 
accompany me with one hundred men to Kamrasi s 
country (Unyoro), on condition that he would restrain 
his people from all misdemeanours, and that they 
should be entirely subservient to me. It was the 
month of December, and during the nine months that 
I had been in correspondence with his party I had 
succeeded in acquiring an extraordinary influence. 
Although my camp was nearly three-quarters of a 
mile from their zareeba, I had been besieged daily for 
many months for everything that was wanted ; my 
