78 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



June, This circumstance detained iis three days, during which a 



^^^^" gang of Wanyamwezi, engaged by Murphy at Bagamoyo, bolt- 

 ed en masse. He had intrusted their payment to Abdullali 

 Dina; and that worthy gave them such villainous cloth that 

 they considered themselves cheated when they saw the " supe- 

 rior material " which our other people had received. Not con- 

 tented with deserting only, they stole a load of cloth from one 

 of the small parties accompanying us, which we felt bound to 

 replace, being responsible for the acts of our servants. 



They joined the Wanyamwezi whom we had protected at 

 Mpwapwa, and who thus commenced to show their ingratitude 

 by aiding their countrymen to desert and rob us. 



As the chief had given orders that none of the inhabitants 

 should enter the camp, on account of trouble having arisen on 

 several occasions between them and passers-by, with loss of life 

 on both sides, we were obliged to send about the country to 

 procure food during our halt here. 



The Wagogo are easily distinguished from other tribes by 

 the custom of piercing their ears and enlarging the lobes to a 

 monstrous extent, wearing in them pieces of wood, ear-rings of 

 brass wire, gourd snuff-boxes, and a variety of miscellaneous ar- 

 ticles ; in fact, the ear to a Mgogo answers much the same pur- 

 pose as a pocket to people indulging in wearing apparel. The 

 lobes are often so enormous as to descend to the shoulders, and 

 in old age frequently become broken or torn. In this case the 

 indispensable ear-rings are either suspended by a string ac]'oss 

 the top of the head, or a fresh hole is made in one of the hang- 

 ing ends, wliich ultimately becomes as large as the former one. 



Their arms are double-edged knives, spears, bows and arrows, 

 and knob-sticks. A few also carry hide shields similar in shape 

 to those of Mpwapwa, but with the hair scraped off, and pat- 

 terns painted on them in red, yellow, black, and white. 



Small copper and brass bracelets, worked at Zanzibar, are 

 much worn, as M'ell as I'itlndi of iron and brass wire, which 

 are also placed round the upper arm, and above and below the 

 knee ; and a peculiar ornament carved in horn, shaped like a 

 double chevron, with spikes projecting from tlie upper angles 

 covered with wire and tipped with small knobs of brass, is 

 worn on the upper part of the left arm. 



