DIFFICULTIES ABOUT PORTERS. 71 after my energetic protestations, were satisfied with carrying off a young ox, as well as bark cloths and skins, from her hut. The district here belongs to my acquaintance Melimbua, who was not likely to approve of this summary kind of justice. Msige’s head was bandaged as well as possible, and then we resumed our march. After wading through much mud and water we got back to the old road, and reached Kimanya late in the afternoon. The huts we had previously occupied had -. been burnt down by the inhabitants, because I, a white man, had slept in them. Yet I received a friendly welcome from Vakumba, and was even able to procure a goat. We also obtained, by barter, a beautiful skin of the Zragelaphus ser ae which is very common in Unyoro.

Kabréga had sent Matongali Matébere to look after my porters and my comfort, but he took little trouble about these matters. It was already nine oclock on the 27th of October, and not a single porter was to be seen. I therefore sent to him, but received neither answer nor porters. So I gave the order to start, and left him behind with all my traps, for which I held him responsible to his master; he promised to follow me soon. Passing by a magnificent sycamore, the hanging roots of which had grown into nine stems, we went on up and down hill, through tall grass, till we rested a while beside a pool that had been made for watering Kabréga’s cattle.

I noticed quite near to the water a solitary Huphorbia venefica, a plant which is quite a stranger in this country. This continual struggle with thorns and grasses had thoroughly tired us out, so we were very thankful soon after to reach a few miserable huts, where we could take shelter from the torrents of rain which began to pour down upon us. Only the most useless of my loads had yet arrived, while my bedding and cooking apparatus remained behind, so I was obliged to go to bed supperless, while the leaky hut, with its mosquitoes, and water pouring in on all sides, proved no paradise, and I preferred sleeping on a bullock’s hide in the open air. But in the morning it grew desperately cold, and when the sun rose we were all ready to start at once, although our things were only arriving in driblets. This place was called Btdbe,