2o6 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



thought, I got out the scissors and cut out paper dolls 

 — the sort done from a folded paper, all hold of hands. 

 These were a great success. Each savage had to have 

 a row of them. It was certainly a ridiculous sight — 

 these armed grown men dangling little paper figures 

 up and down in an n'goma* After these preliminaries 

 we got down to business. I wanted eggs, information, 

 and fifteen men to carry loads. The eggs were promised 

 at once ; the information (false) was immediately forth- 

 coming; the men would have to be sent for, but would 

 surely be here to-morrow. I then instructed Ali to 

 give them coffee at the cook camp. Thus rid of the 

 lot, I enjoyed well-earned peace. 



Memba Sasa and a savage had been out all afternoon 

 scouting for alleged Uganda cob. He came in very dis- 

 gusted, reporting nothing but impalla, and mighty few 

 of them. I suspect the Ungruimi names for cob and 

 impalla are the same; and hence the misunderstand- 

 ing. So there goes one fond hope ! 



In the dusk of evening a weird and ghastly proces- 

 sion came down past us, eight or ten girls painted white 

 from crown to toe and variously streaked in wavery 

 lines. I asked Missambi about them, and he proudly 

 told me those were his affianced brides, and that this 

 peculiar decoration was of the nature of our engage- 

 ment rings ! 



I am just settling to rest a bit when up come my 



* Dance. 



