5 2 
EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
ness intervening, had to sleep on the road. We 
sent off as many men as we could induce to go, after 
they had rested, to carry water to Martin and the 
stragglers, who must have been much in need of it; and 
I am glad to say we secured a sufficient number of 
recruits without having to resort to blows, as no one 
could have found the heart to lick the poor fellow T s, 
even if they had refused, after their long march. It 
will always be a marvel to me how any men could do 
such a tramp with so little water and no food, carrying 
the loads they did. 
We had our first regular meal of the day at 6 p.m., 
consisting only of roast gazelle and chupatees, but 
luckily we found a case of champagne had arrived, 
and this we had open in no time. What a pick-me-up 
it was ! I am sure none of us had ever appreciated a 
drink so much before. Fortunately a small tent had also 
been brought in, for, to make things thoroughly pleasant, 
shortly after our arrival a heavy downpour of rain set 
in, lasting for two hours. We were in the hopes that 
Martin would benefit by this, but we afterwards learned 
that no rain had fallen where he was, though the 
distance between us was only ten miles. These showers 
appeared to be very local, and rain fell but rarely 
between Maringu and Ziwani. The former place is 
about half-way to Taveta, so we had now accom¬ 
plished some hundred and twenty miles since leaving 
Mombasa. 
December iSth .—We sent up a fatigue party for 
water the first thing in the morning, and II-with 
