96 VISIT TO THE SAMBA NAGOSHI FALLS. Chap. V. 



two peoples is the same. By immeniorial law of the 

 country, the Ashira Ngozai are allowed to trade 

 direct with the Kamhas, hut they are not permitted 

 to go heyond them in their trading expeditions. If 

 an Ashira of the prairie wishes to trade with any 

 trihe north of the Kamba country, he is obliged to 

 employ Kamhas as his agents, and must remain in 

 Dihaou until the business is arranged. Otherwise he 

 is compelled to leave his goods in the hands of some 

 Kamba man, and trust to him in bartering them for 

 produce with other tribes. I believe there was not a 

 single Ashira Ngozai who had ever seen the Samba 

 Nagoshi Falls, so effectual are tlie political barriers ^ 

 which are opposed to the travels of natives beyond' 

 the limits of their own and adjoining tribes. 



We had the usual difficulty in getting away from 

 Dihaou. The African is never in a hurry to resume 

 a march, and it gratifies the pride of the chief and 

 gives him consequence amongst his neighbours to 

 have the ntangani in his possession. Arangui, nephew 

 of Olenda, who was my chief guide, gave me some 

 trouble with his fears that the villagers wished to 

 bewitch him through jealousy of the white man's 

 friendship. I found it necessary, on the 6th of 

 December, to address a speech to the chief and his 

 subjects, telhng them that I must go forward without 

 further delay to the Samba Nagoshi, that I had to 

 sherra mpaga, " a wager to win," that our feet had 

 rested long enough, and, finally, that I must be off 

 the next day. Dihaou and his people, as usual, 

 retired a short distance to deliberate, and returned, 

 the chief saying that it should be as I wished; that 



