Before leaving England Speke made arrangements, through the British consul at Zanzibar, to send on an instalment of porters and property to Unyamwezi, intending to follow his old route to the Victoria Nyanza. The Indian government, which has often done so much to assist the opening up or the settlement of eastern Africa, gave to Speke’s expedition fifty carbines and twenty thousand rounds of ammunition, and lent him as many surveying instruments as were required. The government of India also put at his disposal rich presents (gold watches) for such Arabs as had assisted him on the former expedition. Petherick, whose explorations have been treated of in the previous chapter, had recently arrived in England from the Upper Nile, and had been promoted to be British Consul. Speke, before he left England, made arrangements with Petherick to place boats at his disposal at Gondokoro, and to send a party of men in the same direction to collect ivory and to wait about in the vicinity of Gondokoro in order to assist him when he should reach that part of the Nile. Petherick was also invited to ascend the Asua River (then thought to be a branch of the Nile instead of an affluent) in case it should be another means of communication with the Victoria Nyanza. Speke and Grant journeyed out by way of the Cape, and at Cape Town stayed for a while with the great Sir George Grey, who, taking the greatest interest in their undertaking, induced the Cape government to grant the sum of three hundred pounds to be spent in buying baggage mules. With these mules were sent ten Hottentot mounted police. From Cape Town the expedition was conveyed on a gunboat to Zanzibar. At the commencement of October, 1860, Speke’s expedition was organised, and he started for the interior. His expedition consisted of one corporal and nine privates of the Hottentot police; one jemadar and twenty-five privates of the Baluch soldiery of the Sultan of Zanzibar; one Arab caravan leader and seventy-five freed slaves; one kirongozi or guide and one hundred negro porters; two black valets, who had both been man-of-war’s men and could speak Hindustani; Frij, the black cook (also from a man-of-war), and the invaluable “Bombay,” who was interpreter and factotum. (The expedition took with it twelve transport mules and three donkeys, also twenty-two goats for milk and meat. The Hottentots soon broke down in health, and took to riding the donkeys, the mules being loaded with ammunition.) The white men, as a rule, had to walk. The Hottentots were sometimes useful as camp cooks, but they suffered so much from fever as to become a burden to the expedition. [Illustration: A MNYAMWEZI PORTER.]