172 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



had walked at the same steady gait until it had dropped. 

 And one of the strangest features was that the two of 

 us, although we had gone five and a half miles, ended 

 within 200 yards of the spot we had started from! 



Left one gunbearer and took the other. Got in to 

 the village in an hour. Found a large central hut and 

 a half-dozen smaller had been swept and garnished for 

 our accommodation. As the huts were brand new, we 

 took possession, though we pitched our tents under a 

 big tree. The old fellow we at first took for the sultan 

 was an individual as little like a negro as any I have 

 yet seen. His features were aquiline, his lips thin, and 

 his face lined with lines of humour and shrewdness 

 rather than merely of old age. He was like a Sioux 

 Indian, or rather a weather-beaten old New England 

 fishing captain. He wore simple, heavy brass armlets, 

 a bead necklace, a plush carriage robe, and very heavy 

 small brass rings in his ears. A small steel chain 

 passed from these across his forehead, thus easing the 

 weight, as it were. He smoked a unique pipe, with a 

 long engraved steel mouthpiece and bowl, polished 

 like silver, neatly bound with hide at the bend. A 

 slave carried a reclining steamer-chair. 



With him was an oily looking, sly youth of eighteen, 

 speaking fluent Swahili, dressed in fez, kanzua* and 

 tarboush, and supplied with a slave and ordinary camp- 

 chair. 



* A night-gown sort of garment. 



