VI.] A NATIVE'S ESTIMATION OF WHITE MEN. 81 



a sharp angle, and there was not a curve in any portion of its June, 

 branches. ^ 



Under the acacias were strewed numerous natural caltrops, 

 formed by a sort of excrescence on the trees, from which pro- 

 truded four sharp, stiff thorns, each three inches long. When 

 dry, these fall to the ground, and offer a serious impediment to 

 barefooted men. 



In one portion of our road there w^ere many narrow rifts, 

 seemingly occasioned by a recent earthquake, but I failed to 

 make any one understand my inquiries as to their cause. 



On reaching the tembe of the chief of this district, which 

 was called Mapalatta, we were again compelled to pay mhongo ; 

 but, owing to the head-man being drunk, this matter could not 

 be arranged on the day of our arrival. The chief was very civil, 

 and gave us permission to take any matama stalks we might 

 require for building huts and feeding the donkeys, during the 

 time we w^ere detained waiting for the head-man to become 

 sober. 



Many visitors came to inspect our wonderful belongings — 

 watches, guns, pistols, compasses, etc. ; and one old man, who 

 was the chiefs uncle and adopted father, after staring for a 

 long time in mute admiration, said, " Oh, these white men ! they 

 make all these wonderful things, and know how to use them ! 

 Surely men who know so much ought never to die ; they must 

 be clever enough to make a medicine to keep them always 

 young and strong, so that they need never die." 



I believe the old gentleman had some idea that we were a 

 few thousand years old, and had evolved guns, watches, and all, 

 out of our inner consciousness. 



He was very communicative, telling us that six circlets of 

 skin on his left wrist were of elephant hides, and denoted the 

 number he had killed. This induced me to inquire whether 

 the yellow ones on his right wrist were trophies of lions he had 

 killed ; but he replied, " Oh, no ! goat's skin — worn as a fetich." 



Honey was plentiful here; but as a party of Wadirigo were 

 reported to be lurking about in the jungle, no one could be per- 

 suaded to go out to collect any for us. 



On the day following, mhongo was settled satisfactorily to 

 the chief, in particular, and relatively to us, for he was greatly 



