AN ANXIOUS PERIOD. 
185 
Most fortunate was it tliat I did so. Jumba Kimemeta 
started from Mosi a day or two afterwards, with the 
slaves purchased from Mandara. The Masai, knowing 
this, lay in wait for him, attacked his caravan, routed 
it, and Jumba only escaped by the skin of his teeth, 
losing slaves, oxen, and goods. Had my men been 
with him, they would certainly have abandoned the 
collections, and then nobody in England would have 
believed me when I explained their loss. 
Kiongwe was supposed to occupy a fortnight in 
journeying to the coast, the same time in returning, 
while his work in Zanzibar would hardly oblige him 
to remain there longer than a week or ten days ; con¬ 
sequently in six weeks at the most I might expect 
his arrival in Mosi with the reinforcement of men and 
goods. 
Nevertheless it was with some presentiment of 
coming difficulties that I bade him farewell on the 
morning of July 11th, and watched his little band 
slowly wending their way out of my sight into the 
distant plain. Yet he must be sent some time or 
other, and the present moment seemed the most pro¬ 
pitious. 
After he had gone and my band of men was reduced 
to twelve, including all hands, trouble was not long in 
coming. My chief collector, Mabruki, had begun to 
grow very exacting. He received nearly double the 
wages of my invaluable Indian servant and considerably 
more than the other Swahili porters. His food allow¬ 
ance was also specially increased, and he might have 
had anything in reason for the asking : not that he 
was a good collector—far from it—but then he was 
better than nobody and, moreover, was a very fair shot 
with the rifle. He enjoyed, indeed, sallying out into 
