The expedition then entered upon the entirely unknown country of Boma, re ferred to by Captain vVellby in- his book, where the natives were found to be very shy, and gave the white man a wide berth. In March last Major Austen entered upon the desert, where ibr a. period of a month the expedition was in great distress. Often the ani mals Had to be deprived of water for 48 hours. The men suffered greatly during this part of the journey, and became somewhat listless, but there is not the least foundation for the rumors current in Cairo of a mutiny, .major Austin speaks in the highest terms of their loyalty and gallantry during a very precarious period.. At the begin ning of April water was found, the ex pedition reaching the Sacchi Biver, to the west of the Omo. There Major Austin found on a bush a curious Wece of rag, which on examination proved to be a. silk handkerchief with an initial B in the corner. It undoubtedly be longed to the Italian explorer Bottego, who was murdered in this region some years ago. During the whole of the period the expedition met large ierds of elephants and giraffes, but had little opportunity for sport. Four days after leaving the Sacchi Major Austin con cluded his survey from the north, hav ing joined up with his previous survey from the Mombasa side. By this time supplies began to give out and the situation became most critical, officers and men being reduced to less than ua.lt rations. Orders had to be givej to kill tho transport animals for food, and for ten weeks donkey and mule flesh was the only meat available. As it was found im possible to proceed further in this plight it was decided to strike south into the Uganda Protectorate, the main survsy IS g -^ 6C ? c ° m P lete <* • between ' th% Soudan 'and Abyssinia. Heavy rains now set in, and shallow lakes of rain water altered the whole character of if c ? n st?y' Majors Austin and Bricrkt, who had in 1898 been over this section of the road, found their, calculations quite upset by these floods, and were unable to follow their old route. A long detour was necessary, and it was not until May that Lake "Oudolph was reached. 