The National tribune., 1899-12-14

| thorn-Dush fence. IN this space purposet
! 10 ece3t temporary barracks. storarooms anC
! a mes SOON and Office for ourselves. ] did
not truss the WaniorohbcS, as on leaving
| the Imperial military post at Mos chi, We had
heard that the Nasal, amongst whom there
was thea a great famine. would mos. likely
| fall upon The native settlements near our
posts and forcibiy take food from the
friendly natives under our protection. This,
OF course, would force lis 10 chaStiZe the
Masais. They would naturally fall on our
expedition first, as we were the most eX-
Iposed. and were even then pretty well seat
tered. the other members OF the expedition
not having united again with the main
| body.
: In the meantime prepared an expedition
| to one of the nearest Nasal tribes that had
not suffered as Yet seriously from the
famine. The object of this expedition was
! 10 barter q number of donkeyS for calico
coffee and steel wire. beads. etc. This was
a very risky experiment. l therefore could
not send any of my black soldiers. as they
would have surely got into trouble; more
over, l dared not weaken my small force too
much at that time. AS it was would have
had a very poor chance, if the WandorObbos
had attacked me at the time. However, l
cowed these people, as took my best men
daily out for target practice and managed
to have always some of the WandOrObbOs
nearby to see the exploits of my soldiers.
moreover kept them out of mischief by
taking a number of them out hunting with
ME. plying them well with meat and small
presents. which went long way with them
When. therefore, / broached the subject to
one OF the chiefs that / wanted some trust
worthy men, who were friendly with the
MaSais, ,toaccompany some of my men on a
trading expedition and bring back num-
Der of the Nasal donkeys, he offered TO go
himself with some of his men and promised
that lie would bring back the expedition
safely.
A TRADING EXPEDITION.
had my misgivings. but the trip had to
be undertaken, as had strct injunctions
from the Government TO get a number of
these Nasal donkeys, which are directly
descended from the African wild donkey,
and which in all probability would stand
the climate well and would when crossed
with horse and donkey make a suitable
animal for riding and driving, and which
would not succumb 10 the horsesickness nor
be affected by the tsetSe fly like the inn
ported animals. | shall have occasion to
relate further on how these experiments
succeeded.
| started off the leader of my carriers and
10 OF their number under the guidance of
the Wandorobbos. They would have a
tedious march through trying country. of
which most was uninhabited desert If all
went well they would be back i'll four 10 five
weeks. | sent them off well equipped, and
that was all could do; the rest would have
TO trust 10 Providence.
On the other side of the river was a nicely
wooded hill on which as soon as / had a
rough bridge built across the stream. which
was not very broad at that part, ] estab-
lished a post of observation. a soldier was
always on duty there, with a spy glass, from
sunrise to sundown. He could command a
wide range of view over the steppe and
A h a
in camp ] was always informed if any
natives were approaching, and about the
movements OF the game near the camp.
This post Of observation proved very Valu-
able later.
Ny next move was 10 get from 100 10 $50
men from a friendly Wadschagga tribe
continuously working with my men. in
| telling trees. for making the framework
cutting branches and tall grass 10 cover
! the houses | was about To erect, pre-
! pairing a piece of land near the river for
| Il garden and cornfieids. etc, building
small graSs-huts for my carriers and
other workmen, etc. Unfortunately.
| could never keep one lot of men very long.
as after Il few days, these men who We're
used TO their healthier mountain climate
suffered greatly from fever. and after a few
deaths occurred. had the greatest trouble
| 10 persuade other men 10 come down 10 work
and thus progress was not 50 rapid as
could desire.
OSTRICH FARMING.
All that time the Wandorobbos. who had
been promised big presents if they brought
me young animals. hegan to bring ih Young
gazelles and antelopes. and one day they
brought me nine Young oStricheS about
eight days Old. Of which unfortunately only
1 three lived. as they had brought them from
u long way and treated them rather
roughly. In my next papers | shall have
occasion 10 speak more about my menagerie.
which kept on increasing. and was a source
of great JOY to me.
had a great deal of trouble in getting
the young animals 10 take milk and lost
a good many in trying 10 get the right
mixtures for them. / had to try COW $.
goats. donkey's and condensed milk. with
starch-water. rice-water. etc. before | found
what would agree with the different ami,
| mails.
They kept me busy day and night But
/ did not mind that. as | was thus enabled
TO make most valuable and. interesting
geological studies. of which the reader shall
have the full benefit in due course.
CTo be continued.)