The soldiers borrowed the natives' mats,
cooking pots, &c., but scrupulously returned everything according to
orders.
February 11. - Nersho received his cow; and I left two in addition for
the headman of the village.
We started at 5.35 a.m., and marched ten miles, and halted at a small
ravine of running water among wooded hills.
Our old guide, Lokko, was at fault. After much trouble we succeeded in
obtaining two natives, who told us, that in this spot they had killed a
large number of the slave-hunters' people.
Other natives soon joined us, and we were led by a difficult rocky path
through thick forest among the hills for five miles, to the pretty open
country of Mooge.
Throughout the journey from the Nile, the country had been thickly
populated. At Mooge we camped in a large village on the hill.
February 12. - We started at 5.25, and marched straight to Lobore, a
distance of fourteen miles. The road was through forest, intersected at
right-angles with deep watercourses from the mountain, called Forke,
about a mile distant upon our left. This fine, rocky, and almost
perpendicular hill is 2,000 feet high.
On arrival at Lobore we halted beneath a large tree, and waited for the
cattle, which were some distance in the rear, owing to the difficulty in
crossing the numerous steep ravines. Some work would be necessary on
this road to render it possible for carts.
We had thus marched fifty-seven miles from our vessels without the
necessity of firing a shot, although we were accompanied by so tempting
a prize as a large herd of cattle and sheep.
The natives of Lobore soon began to collect, and the dragoman, Wani,
shortly appeared, who proved to be an old acquaintance in my former
journey. This man, who had been an interpreter when a boy among the
traders, spoke good Arabic, and we soon felt quite at home. Abbio, the
old sheik of Lobore appeared. This old fellow was half-blind; but he
seemed very willing to assist, and, after I had explained the object of
my visit, he assured me that his people would go to the vessels if
accompanied by my soldiers, and that I need not be uneasy about my
baggage.
The Lobore are not Bari. I was delighted to have passed the southern
frontier at Mooge, and to have quitted that incomprehensible tribe. The
language of the Lobore is a dialect of the Madi.
In the evening, the cattle arrived with the rear-guard. I had requested
the old sheik to have a zareeba prepare, for them; this was quickly
accomplished, therefore an ox was slaughtered as a reward for all those
who had worked at the inclosure.
On 13th February "we held a regular market for the purchase of flour in
exchange for sheep and goats. Many of these useful little animals were
sickly, owing to the marches in the hot sun, which had created intense
thirst.
