Hot. Moved to southern point of the Thika River, in an 
March 16th unsuccessful attempt to find a good ford. Camped on high 
ground, surrounded by boulder hills. Scenery magnificent. 
Country thorny, a tree without thorns being the exception. 
Learmonth saw two rhino. 
Mrs. Fleischmann’s syce and a sick porter, both Wakam- 
bas, deserted during the night. Learned we were camped 
only six miles from the village of their tribe, and ordered the 
headman to place a guard of soldiers around the rest of the 
Wakambas for the next few days, until we got some distance 
from the place.* 
Marched ten miles. 
Day’s bag: Learmonth—One kongoni (food for porters). 
Fleischmann—One water-buck. 
Hot. Found something that looked like a ford, and crossed 
March 17th t h e Thika at 8.30 A. M. Very poor crossing; but, considering 
the bad stone bottom and swift current, the depth of water, 
and, in addition, the numbers of crocodiles, we got over 
safely and quickly. Country thorny and bushy. Marched 
north eight miles and found a splendid camping-place under 
three large thorn-trees. 
Many rhino in these parts. Both sportsmen met the same 
rhino at different times, the animal seeming too curious for 
comfort. As the beast had a very bad head we did not wish 
to be forced into shooting him. 
Innumerable guinea fowl around the camp; the porters 
catching several chicks by hand. 
Marched six to eight miles. 
Day’s bag: Learmonth—Two bush-buck. 
Fleischmann—Three guinea-fowl, 
One water-buck. 
March 18th Hot. Caravan off at 7 A. M. on five and a half hours’ march. 
Made camp near the junction of the Thika and Tana Rivers. 
* Note.—“ There has been much discussion as whether it is best to mix the tribes or 
to take only men fiom one tribe in forming the caravan. Not having had enough ex¬ 
perience to judge for myself, I acted on the advice of the firm that outfitted me, and, 
from the experience I had afterward, I am strongly in favor of the mixed caravan, for 
the following reasons : 
When one man deserts from the caravan it means that that man’s load of sixty 
pounds is to be divided among the men that stay. That being the case, and as all 
desertions take place at night and when within a reasonable distance of the would-be 
deserters’ tribe, you have the men of perhaps five or six other tribes to keep guard and 
to notify you when you are within reaching distance of the tribe of a dissatisfied mem¬ 
ber of the caravan. While I had four desertions during the whole time that I was in 
Africa, which is very light, they all took place while we were within about six or 
eight miles of some Wakamba villages.—(Fleischmann, in “Cosmopolitan Magazine,” 
September, 1907). 
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