ACEOSS AFEICA. [Chap. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Kanyenye. — A Veritable Methuselah. — Harsh-tongued People. — A Drunken Official. 

 — Laziness of our Pagazi. — A Fancy for Goggles. — A Little Visitor. — Sambo shot. 

 — A Thick Head. — Retributive Justice. — Fines for shedding Blood. — Hyenas. — A 

 Rain Spirit. — Pigeon-shooting. — Witchcraft. — The Penalty of Failure. — Wizards 

 roasted alive. — Usekhe.— Obsequies of a Chief.— The Wahumba. — Cost of Pro- 

 visions. — Admiring Spectators. — Immense Tusks. — A Distressed British Subject. 

 — Expenditure in Mhongo. 



July, Our camp at Kanyenye was one of a gronp of some half- 



^^''^- dozen built by various passing caravans, and, on arriving, there 



was a tremendous rush bj our pagazi to secure tlie best huts. 



It was a regular case of " each for himself, and the devil take 



the hindmost." 



Meanwhile we were left to shift for ourselves without assist- 

 ance, and had much trouble in getting a place cleared for our 

 tents, for the pagazi considered their work w^as over directly 

 they were in camp and had deposited their loads. 



Afterward, when traveling with Arabs, I found that we had 

 treated our men with too much consideration, and they, in con- 

 sequence, tried to impose on us, and were constantly grumbling 

 and growling. Our loads were ten pounds lighter than the 

 average of those carried for the Arab traders. And since they 

 do not employ askari, their pagazi, besides carrying loads, pitch 

 tents and build screens and huts required for the women and 

 ■ cooking ; so that they are frequently two or three hours in 

 camp before having a chance of looking after themselves. 

 With us the work of our porters was finished when they 

 reached camp ; for the askari pitched our tents, and the task 

 of placing beds and boxes inside was left to our servants and 

 gun-bearers. 



Bombay, whom we trusted to keep order among the askari, 

 was jealous of Issa, and allowed tlie men to abuse him as they 

 liked ; and they were often so impertinent and insubordinate 



