A Frightful
Epidemic Of Dysentery Had Broken Out Amongst
Them, Doubtless Caused By Their Having Eaten
Food To Which They
Were entirely unaccustomed,
their simple diet in their own homes consisting
almost entirely of bananas, from which they also
make
A most refreshing and stimulating drink.
The ranks of the caravan were terribly decimated,
and dozens of men were left dead or dying along
the roadside after each march. It was a case of
the survival of the fittest, as of course it was quite
impossible for the whole caravan to halt in the
wilderness where neither food nor water was to
be had. There was only one European with the
party, and although he worked like a slave he
could do very little among such a number, while
the Basoga themselves seemed quite indifferent
to the sufferings of their comrades. Thirteen
poor wretches fell out to die close to my tent;
they were in the most hopeless condition and far
too weak to be able to do anything at all for
themselves. As soon as I discovered them, I boiled
a bucketful of water, added some tins of
condensed milk and the greater part of a bottle of
brandy to it, and fed them with the mixture.
Their feeble cries for some of this nourishment
were heartrending; some could only whisper,
"Bwana, Bwana" ("Master, Master"), and then
open their mouths. One or two of them, indeed,
could hardly do even this, and were so weak as
to be unable to swallow the spoonful of milk
which I put between their lips.
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