The mere fact that I still held on my way
according to the Doctor's little pearly monitor (the compass) had
a grand moral effect on them, and though they demurred in
plaintive terms and with pinched faces, they followed my
footsteps with a trustfulness which quite affected me.
For long miles we trudged over smooth sloping sward, with a vision
of forest and park-land beauty on our right and left, and in front
of us such as is rarely seen. At a pace that soon left the main
body of the Expedition far behind, I strode on with a few gallant
fellows, who, despite their heavy loads, kept pace with me. After
a couple of hours we were ascending the easy slope of a ridge,
which promised to decide in a few minutes the truth or the
inaccuracy of my chart. Presently we arrived at the eastern
edge of the ridge, and about five miles away, and 1,000 feet below
the high plateau on which we stood, we distinguished the valley of
Imrera!
By noon we were in our old camp. The natives gathered round,
bringing supplies of food, and to congratulate us upon having gone
to Ujiji and returned. But it was long before the last member of
the Expedition arrived. The Doctor's feet were very sore,
bleeding from the weary march. His shoes were in a very worn-out
state, and he had so cut and slashed them with a knife to ease his
blistered feet, that any man of our force would have refused them
as a gift, no matter how ambitious he might be to encase his feet
a la Wasungu.
Asmani, the guide, was very much taken aback when he discovered
that the tiny compass knew the way better than he did, and he
declared it as his solemn opinion that it could not lie. He
suffered much in reputation from having contested the palm with
the "little thing," and ever afterwards his boasted knowledge
of the country was considerably doubted.
After halting a day to recruit ourselves, we continued our journey
on the 18th January, 1872, towards Unyanyembe. A few miles beyond
Imrera, Asmani lost the road again, and I was obliged to show it to
him, by which I gained additional honour and credit as a leader and
guide. My shoes were very bad, and it was difficult to decide
whose were the worst in condition, the Doctor's or mine. A great
change had come upon the face of the land since I had passed
northward en route to Ujiji. The wild grapes now hung in clusters
along the road; the corn ears were advanced enough to pluck and
roast for food; the various plants shed their flowers; and the
deep woods and grasses of the country were greener than ever.
