76 UGANDA AND IHE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

CHAPTEE IV.

NG'URU TO KAGEI AND UKEKEWE.

AFTER looking through some of our stores, \ve found that we had only a small supply left of the cloths most used for barter, and Lieutenant Smith decided to go to Unyanyembe, or Tabora, the well-known Arab trading depot, which was distant about 100 miles, and purchase a fresh stock, and on December 12th he set off with a few Wang'uana, hoping to be back in ten days or a fortnight.

The work of hiring porters for the next stage of our journey had now to be undertaken, but at present it was useless to attempt it, for, the first rains having fallen, the whole population was employed in preparing the ground for sowing, and until all the seed was sown no men would engage as porters. Lieutenant Smith hoped to bring back a hundred men with him from Unyanyembe. Meantime we were busily engaged in repacking the loads, taking stock of all our property, cleaning tools and machinery, mending tents, saddles, etc., and getting all ready for the journey, as soon as we should get men.