tent and property to
Baraka, and commenced the return with a bad hitching cough, caused by
those cold easterly winds that blow over the plateau during the six dry
months of the years, and which are, I suppose, the Harmattan peculiar to
Africa.

Next day I joined Grant once more, and found he had collected a few
Sorombo men, hoping to follow after me. I then told him all my mishaps
in Sorombo, as well as of the "blue-devil" frights that had seized all
my men. I felt greatly alarmed about the prospects of the expedition,
scarcely knowing what I should do. I resolved at last, if everything
else failed, to make up a raft at the southern end of the N'yanza, and
try to go up to the Nile in that way. My cough daily grew worse. I
could not lie or sleep on either side. Still my mind was so excited and
anxious that, after remaining one day here to enjoy Grant's society,
I pushed ahead again, taking Bombay with me, and had breakfast at
Mchimeka's.

There I found the Pig, who now said he wished he had taken my offer
of beads, for he had spoken with his chief, and saw that I was right.
Baraka and the Wanguana were humbugs, and had they not opposed his
going, he would have gone then; even now, he said, he wished I would
take him again with Bombay. Though half inclined to accept his offer,
which would have saved a long trudge to Kaze, yet as he had tricked
me so often, I felt there would be no security unless I could get some
coast interpreters, who would not side with the chiefs against me as he
had done. From this I went on to Sirboko's, and spent the next day with
him talking over my plans. The rafting up the lake he thought a good
scheme; but he did not think I should ever get through Usui until all
the Kaze merchants went north in a body, for it was no use trying to
force my men against their inclinations; and if I did not take care how
I handled them, he thought they would all desert.

My cough still grew worse, and became so bad that, whilst mounting a
hill on entering Ungugu's the second day after, I blew and grunted like
a broken-winded horse, and it became so distressing I had to halt a day.
In two more marches, however, I reached Kaze, and put up with Musa's
eldest son, Abdalla, on the 2nd July, who now was transformed from a
drunken slovenly boy into the appearance of a grand swell, squatting all
day as his old father used to do. The house, however, did not feel the
same--no men respected him as they had done his fathe