The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XVI, No. 6 [‎337v] (27/232)

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AN EXPEDITION BETWEEN LAKE RUDOLF AND THE NILE.
administrative surveys of all those territories in Africa which are
directly dependent on the Home Government, and that in conjunction
with the other European Powers which have African possessions.
AN EXPEDITION BETWEEN LAKE RUDOLF AND THE NILE.*
By Dr. A. DONALDSON SMITH.
In 1895, when my first expedition reached Lake Rudolf, it had been a
whole year on the march, and had been successful also in exploring
much more new country than I had anticipated, so I contented myself
in making a fortnight’s journey up the Mela river. On this side
journey, however, I made up my mind, on looking across a vast expanse
of plain towards the west, that some day I must pursue the setting sun
from Rudolf to the Nile, and I continually watched for an opportuity to
satisfy my desire. Since I could not do this at once, I filled in a part
of the intervening time by a journey through some of the unknown
parts of the Khingan range in Mongolia in 1897, a short account of
which was published in the Geographical Journal of May, 1898.
The whole of the winter of 1898-99 I was in the jungle in Soma
liland, hoping for an opportunity to cross the border, but owing to
political reasons and to the gratuitous interference of the Consul-
General, I was unable to put my project into execution until mid
summer. During May and June, while negotiations with the Foreign
Office were under way, I employed my time in recruiting twenty-
eight Sikhs and Gurkhas in the Punjab. I thought it advisable to
enter via Kismayu, but the Mombasa local authorities stopped me. To
be brief, I fitted out three distinct expeditions before I managed to get
finally out of the reach of incomprehensible) officials. I started from
Berbera on August 1, 1899. After the first march eleven of my Sikh
ex- Sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. deserted, having become aware that they must sweat
occasionally, and that they could not be supplied with all the manifold
luxuries they were accustomed to in the Indian army. Knowing that
I should never succeed if I took one of the officially recognized head
men with me, I had great difficulty in getting Somali camel-men,
since all the Berbera headmen formed a ring against me. Several
camel-men having deserted me at Hargeisa, and fearing further official
interference, I started across the Hand with only seventeen Somalis,
and as many Gurkhas and Sikhs, besides my assistant, Mr. Frazer,
and my excellent Goarnese cook, kindly lent me by Captain P. Z. Cox.
During the journey to the Shebeli river via Milmil, Sesebane, and
* Read at the Royal Geographical Society, November 12 , 1900. Map, p. 712.