X.] ' I EEDUCE MY KIT. 135 



people at Taborali from enticing our men away from us. Tliey December, 

 would undoubtedly have adopted strong measures, Lad they not ^873. 

 been afraid of creating divisions while Mirambo was still un- 

 conquered. 



Mrima Ngombe, the chief of Ugunda, developed a strong 

 friendsliip for me, and constantly visited me, bringing pombe, 

 and insisting on my hobnobbing with him ; but, notwithstand- 

 ing his efforts, it was impossible to obtain any pagazi among 

 his people, as they would not leave home during the sowing- 

 season. 



I therefore reduced my personal kit to a minimum, making 

 all my clothes, boots, etc., into one load ; yet even then there 

 were not sufficient carriers, neither was there any chance of ob- 

 taining men on hire from day to day. So I left behind twelve 

 loads of the cheapest beads, and wrote to Said ibn Salim to for- 

 ward them if an opportunity offered. 



Having wished Murphy "godspeed," I again made a start 

 from Kwikuruh on December 8th, and, after a long march, 

 reached Mapalatta. When first the caravan arrived, the people 

 closed the doors of the village, for they had lately been harried 

 by some slave-traders, and had learned to view all strangers 

 with suspicion. But after a time they professed themselves 

 satisfied with our peaceful intentions, and allowed us to enter. 



According to Asmani, who had rejoined us at Mrima Ngom- 

 be's, no other villages would be met with for some days, and con- 

 sequently it was necessary to lay in a stock of provisions. Al- 

 though, according to previous experience, this statement was 

 probably incorrect, it was not advisable to risk a jungle march 

 without food, and I ordered a day's halt to buy and clean the 

 necessary corn. .- 



The chief of the village was a disgustingly dirty old man, 

 suffering from delirium tremens — the only instance of this dis- 

 order which I saw in Africa, though drunkenness was by no 

 means uncommon. The purchase of five days' food was, how- 

 ever, satisfactorily arranged with his wives, and we again pro- 

 ceeded on the 10th of December. 



Tlie country was perfectly charming, the trees delicately 

 green and fresh, the open, grassy glades enameled with various 

 wild flowers. Indeed, it would have required no great stretch 



