EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
33 
posely kept out of it to shirk carrying their loads. 
With the help of Mr. Jones, a black missionary most 
obliging and active, we were enabled to make up our 
number of carriers to 250; so after B- had paid 
the advance to the fresh hands, they were started olf, 
under the command of Martin, to a place about seven 
miles due west of Rabai, where we joined them when 
the moon had risen. There was a fair stream near 
this camping ground once the site of a peaceful 
village, but the formidable Masai had killed all its 
inhabitants, and by their constant raiding depopu¬ 
lated the whole neighbourhood. The country here is 
rendered unhealthy by heavy dews which fall during 
the night, also from the miasma which rises from the 
rank vegetation in the swamps. 
As we had now completed our outfit and forces, a 
short review of our complete caravan may prove 
interesting. 
Martin the leader and factotum was a Maltese, once 
a sailor and afterwards attached to the Freretown 
mission station: later on he acted as caravan leader to 
Thomson during his journey through Masai-land, and 
it was owing to the excellent reputation he then 
acquired that we made every endeavour to obtain his 
services; these we found invaluable on account of 
his tribal knowledge, experience, and tact in handling 
our whole caravan. Willing, energetic, and handy in 
all things, though unable to read or write, he re¬ 
presented a treasure of great worth. Next came 
Cabeche, a wily old nigger with a foxy expression, who 
