80 ACKOSS AFEICA. [Chap. 



June, round with copper or brass wire, while their brows are bound 

 1873. with a strip of white cowhide. 



From the traders they obtain white cloth, which thej dye a 

 dirty yellow with clay, and they smear themselves with red 

 earth, sometimes in patches and spots, but at others uniformly 

 over the whole body. 



Adding to this the circumstance that the Wagogo are usually 

 dripping with rancid ghee or castor-oil, and never wash, some 

 slight idea of their objectionable appearance and smell may be 

 formed. 



Having concluded the payment of mhongo at Mvumi, we 

 left on the 25th of June, arriving the same afternoon at a pret- 

 ty little ziwa, or pond, snrrounded by fine trees, and with short, 

 turf-like sward stretching back from the water's edge, forming 

 a complete oasis in the midst of the sterile country through 

 which we had journeyed. It was about four hundred yards 

 long and two hundred wide, and was the chosen haunt of nu- 

 merous water-fowl. 



Dillon and Murphy took the boat, and managed to bag a few 

 birds somewhat like teal; but I was unable to move about, ow- 

 ing to my boot having chafed the place on which I had an ab- 

 scess when at Rehenneko, and rendered me again quite lame. 



Our march had been almost devoid of incident, excepting 

 that the caravan was brought to a stand-still on one occasion by 

 some of the cloth- carriers attempting to take precedence of the 

 more aristocratic wire-carriers. 



And a second time, some Wagogo refused to allow us to 

 pass their tembe without mhongo. But having already paid 

 at Mvumi, to which district these people belonged, this was a 

 barefaced imposition. I told the Wagogo they might take 

 payment in lead from our rifles, although our timid men want- 

 ed to persuade me to allow myself to be cheated ; and seeing 

 three white men with rifles who evidently did not intend to 

 submit to any extortion, they thought it most prudent to draw 

 in their horns, and let the caravan pass without further oppo- 

 sition. 



The country was only partially cultivated, and some places 

 were so sterile as to produce nothing but stunted acacias and a 

 thorn which I called the "anji^ular" tree. Everv bend was at 



