Chapter I: Preface

Although there may be no justification for the production of this work, the reader will perhaps deal leniently with me under the “First Offenders Act.” Among the various reasons which prompted me to commit the crime of adding a contribution to the World’s literature is the fact that little or nothing is known concerning certain peculiar tribes; to wit, the Rendili and Burkeneji. They are a nomadic people whose origin is as yet wrapped in mystery. In addition to this, an account of the trials and difficulties to be encountered in the endeavour to obtain that rapidly vanishing commodity, ivory, will perhaps please those into whose hands this work may fall who delight in “moving accidents by flood and field.”

It has been to me a source of lasting regret that a great many of my photographic negatives were in some way or other unfortunately lost on our homeward journey, and as usually happens on such occasions, they were those I valued most, inasmuch as they included all my photographs of the lower course of the Waso Nyiro River and also those of the Rendili and Burkeneji peoples. I am, however, greatly indebted to Mr. Hazeltine Frost, M.R.P.S., of Muswell Hill, N., for the care and skill with which he has rendered some of the remaining badly mutilated negatives suitable for the purposes of illustration.

In the course of this narrative it will be observed that I name the people of the various countries or districts through which we passed by prefixing Wa- to the name of the district they inhabit. This is in accordance with Swahili practice, as they generally designate a native by the name of his country prefixed by an M’, which in this case denotes a man, the plural of M’ being Wa-. The plural of M’Kamba, or inhabitant of Ukamba, is therefore Wa’Kamba, and an M’Unyamwezi, or inhabitant of Unyamwezi, is Wa’Nyamwezi in the plural. Doubtless a hypercritic would argue that this rule only applies to the Swahili language, and consequently the names of those tribes who are in no way connected with the Swahilis would be outside the rule. He would be right; but I am going to call them all Wa- for the sake of convenience and to avoid confusion.

I have endeavoured to place before the reader an account of the incidents, amusing and tragic, as they appeared to me at the time. Should the narrative prove uninteresting, it will, I think, be due to faulty description. The incidents related were sufficiently exciting to stimulate the most jaded imagination, and they have the rarest of all merits—the merit of being true.

A. A.-H.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

_PREPARATIONS AND START._

PAGE

Engaging porters—Characteristics of Swahili, Wa’Nyamwezi, and
Wa’Kamba porters—Selecting trade goods—Provisions—Arms
and ammunition—The Munipara—Sketch of some principal
porters—Personal servants—List of trade goods taken—Distributing
the loads—Refusal of the Government to register our
porters—Reported hostility of the natives—Finlay and Gibbons’
disaster—Start of the Somali safaris—We move to Kriger’s
Farm—I fall into a game-pit—Camp near Kriger’s Farm—Visitors—The
start 6

CHAPTER II.

_FROM KRIGER’S TO MARANGA._

Off to Doenyo Sabuk—Troubles of a safari—George takes a bath—The
Nairobi Falls—Eaten by ticks—My argument with a
rhinoceros—The Athi river—Good fishing—Lions—Camp near
Doenyo Sabuk—We find the Athi in flood—We build a raft—Kriger
and Knapp bid us adieu—Failure of our raft—We
cross the Athi—I open a box of cigars—Crossing the
Thika-Thika—Bad country—We unexpectedly reach the
Tana—The _détour_ to the Maragua—Crossing the Maragua—In
Kikuyuland 25

CHAPTER III.

_FROM THE TANA TO M’BU._

We reach and cross the Tana—Maranga—The abundance of food
thereof—We open a market—We treat the Maranga elders to
cigars with disastrous results—Bad character of the Wa’M’bu—We
resume our journey—A misunderstanding with the
A’kikuyu—We reach M’bu 49

CHAPTER IV.

_FROM M’BU, ACROSS EAST KENIA, TO ZURA._

First sight of Kenia—Hostile demonstrations by the M’bu people—We
impress two guides—Passage through M’bu—Demonstrations
in force by the inhabitants—Farewell to M’bu—The
guides desert—Arrival in Zuka—Friendly reception by the
Wa’zuka—Passage through Zuka—Muimbe—Igani—Moravi—Arrival
at Zura—Welcome by Dirito, the chief of Zura 65

CHAPTER V.

_ZURA TO M’THARA, AND A VISIT TO EMBE._

The Somalis suffer a reverse in Embe—We reach Munithu—Karanjui—El
Hakim’s disagreement with the Tomori people—Arrival
at M’thara—N’Dominuki—Arrival of the Somalis—A
war “shauri”—We combine to punish the Wa’embe, but
are defeated—Death of Jamah Mahomet—Murder of N’Dominuki’s
nephew by Ismail—Return to camp 83

CHAPTER VI.

_OUR MOVEMENTS IN M’THARA AND MUNITHU._

Attempt of the Wa’M’thara to loot our camp—“Shauri” with
Ismail—The Somalis accuse N’Dominuki of treachery—He
vindicates himself—That wicked little boy!—Explanation of
the Embe reverse—Somalis lose heart—Attacked by ants—El
Hakim’s visit to Munithu—Robbery of his goods by the
Wa’Gnainu—I join him—We endeavour to recover the stolen
property from the Wa’Gnainu—The result 105

CHAPTER VII.

_RETURN TO M’THARA._

An ivory “shauri”—Death of Sadi ben Heri and his companions—Purchasing
ivory—El Hakim and I return to M’thara—A night
in the open—George ill—The Wa’M’thara at their old tricks—Return
of the Somalis from Chanjai—They refuse to return to
Embe—I interview an elephant 123

CHAPTER VIII.

_THE START FOR THE WASO NYIRO._

Some of El Hakim’s experiences with elephants—I am made a
blood-brother of Koromo’s—Departure from M’thara—A toilsome
march—A buffalo-hunt—The buffalo camp—Account of
Dr. Kolb’s death—An unsuccessful lion-hunt—Apprehension
and punishment of a deserter 141

CHAPTER IX.

_JOURNEY DOWN THE WASO NYIRO._

Arrival at the Waso Nyiro—The “Green Camp”—The “cinder
heap”—The camp on fire—Scarcity of game—Hunting a
rhino on mule-back 159

CHAPTER X.

_RETURN TO THE “GREEN CAMP.”_

The “Swamp Camp”—Beautiful climate of the Waso Nyiro—Failure
to obtain salt at N’gomba—Beset by midges—No
signs of the Rendili—Nor of the Wandorobbo—We decide
to retrace our steps—An object-lesson in rhinoceros-shooting—The
“Green Camp” once more 174

CHAPTER XI.

_DOWN THE WASO NYIRO ONCE MORE._

We send to M’thara for guides—Sport at the “Green Camp”—Non-return
of the men sent to M’thara—Our anxiety—Their
safe return with guides—We continue our march down the
river—Desertion of the guides—We push on—Bad country—No
game—We meet some of the Somali’s men—News of the
Rendili—Loss of our camels—In sight of the “promised
land” 190

CHAPTER XII.

_IN THE RENDILI ENCAMPMENT._

Narrow escape from a python—Arrival among the Burkeneji and
Rendili—No ivory—Buying fat-tailed sheep instead—Massacre
of the Somalis porters by the Wa’embe—Consternation of
Ismail Robli—His letter to Nairobi 206

CHAPTER XIII.

_THE RENDILI AND BURKENEJI._

The Burkeneji—Their quarrelsome disposition—The incident of the
spear—The Rendili—Their appearance—Clothing—Ornaments—Weapons—
Household utensils—Morals and manners 221

CHAPTER XIV.

_THE SEARCH FOR LORIAN._

Exchanging presents with the Rendili—El Hakim bitten by a
scorpion—We start for Lorian without guides—Zebra—Desolate
character of the country—Difficulties with rhinoceros—Unwillingness
of our men to proceed—We reach the limit of
Mr. Chanler’s journey—No signs of Lorian 244

CHAPTER XV.

_RETURN FROM THE LORIAN JOURNEY._

An interrupted night’s rest—Photography under difficulties—We
go further down stream—Still no signs of Lorian—Sad end
of “Spot” the puppy—Our men refuse to go further—Preparations
for the return journey—Reasons for our failure to reach
Lorian—Return to our Rendili camp—Somalis think of going
north to Marsabit—Ismail asks me to accompany him—I
decline—The scare in Ismail’s camp—Departure for M’thara 259

CHAPTER XVI.

_RETURN TO M’THARA._

Departure from the Rendili settlement—Ismail’s porters desert—The
affray between Barri and the Somalis—Ismail wounded—A
giraffe hunt—Ismail’s vacillation—Another giraffe hunt—Journey
up the Waso Nyiro—Hippopotamus-shooting 275

CHAPTER XVII.

_ARRIVAL AT M’THARA._

In sight of Kenia once more—El Hakim and the lion—The “Green
Camp” again—The baby water-buck—El Hakim shoots an
elephant—The buried buffalo horns destroyed by hyænas—Bad
news from M’thara—Plot to attack and massacre us
hatched by Bei-Munithu—N’Dominuki’s fidelity—Baked
elephant’s foot—Rain—Arrival at our old camp at M’thara 290

CHAPTER XVIII.

_AN ELEPHANT HUNT AND AN ATTACK ON MUNITHU._

We shoot an elephant—Gordon Cumming on elephants—We send
to Munithu to buy food—Song of Kinyala—Baked elephant’s
foot again a failure—The true recipe—Rain—More rain—The
man with the mutilated nose—The sheep die from exposure—Chiggers—The
El’Konono—Bei-Munithu’s insolent message—A
message from the Wa’Chanjei—George and I march to
attack Munithu 303

CHAPTER XIX.

_FIGHT AT MUNITHU AND DEPARTURE FROM M’THARA._

Attack on Bei-Munithu’s village—Poisoned arrows—The burning
of the village—The return march—Determined pursuit of the
A’kikuyu—Karanjui—George’s fall—Return to the M’thara
camp—Interview with Bei-Munithu—His remorse—Departure
from M’thara—Rain—Hyænas—A lioness—Bad country—Whistling
trees—A lion—Increasing altitude—Zebra 319

CHAPTER XX.

_ROUND NORTH AND WEST KENIA TO THE TANA._

The primeval forests of North Kenia—Difficult country—Ravines—Ngare
Moosoor—Rain—Ngare Nanuki—Cedar forests—Open
country—No game—Upper waters of the Waso Nyiro—Death
of “Sherlock Holmes”—Witchcraft—Zebra—Rhinoceros—Sheep
dying off—More rain—The A’kikuyu once more—Attempt
of the A’kikuyu to steal sheep—Difficult marches—Rain
again—Maranga at last—The Tana impassable 335