18th. - We Had Still To Wait Another Day For Budja's Cows, When, As It Appeared All-Important To Communicate Quickly With Petherick, And As Grant's Leg Was Considered Too Weak For Travelling Fast, We Took Counsel Together, And Altered Our Plans.

I arranged that Grant should go to Kamrasi's direct with the property, cattle, and women, taking my letters and

A map for immediate despatch to Petherick at Gani, whilst I should go up the river to its source or exit from the lake, and come down again navigating as far as practicable.

At night the Waganda startled us by setting fire to the huts our men were sleeping in, but providentially did more damage to themselves than to us, for one sword only was buried in the fire, whilst their own huts, intended to be vacated in the morning, were burnt to the ground. To fortify ourselves against another invasion, we cut down all their plaintains to make a boma or fence.

We started all together on our respective journeys; but, after the third mile, Grant turned west, to join the highroad to Kamrasi's, whilst I went east for Urondogani, crossing the Luajerri, a huge rush-drain three miles broad, fordable nearly to the right bank, where we had to ferry in boats, and the cows to be swum over with men holding on to their tails. It was larger than the Katonga, and more tedious to cross, for it took no less than four hours mosquitoes in myriads biting our bare backs and legs all the while.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 579 of 767
Words from 159055 to 159313 of 210958