280 



ACROSS AFRICA. 



[Chap. 



September, 

 1874. 



Tipo-tijjo had heard of Portuguese having been close to 

 the chief of Urua's capital, wliich lay about a month's journey 

 south-south-west from us, and showed me a Portuguese sol- 

 dier's coat bought from a native, who stated that he received it 

 from a white man who w^as with the chief of Warua. After 

 consultation with Tij'to-tipo, and carefully weighing the 2)ros 

 and i'ons^ I decided on proceeding to the chief of Warua in 

 search of the white traders — who had, I thought, most probably 

 come from the lake — and thence to work back to Sankorra by 

 a road to the westward of the country through which I was for- 

 bidden to pass. 



When I decided on taking this course, Tipo-tipo offered me 

 the services of three Warua guides who had come from the 



WAETTA OUrDES. 



south with him. They were Mona Kasanga, head-man, and son 

 of a chief on Lake Kowamba ; M'Nchkkulla, one of the head- 

 men of a village called Mukalombo ; and Kongwe, of no par- 

 ticular rank or status. Wages and rations for the three were 

 arranged, and, according to custom, paid in advance to Mona 

 Kasanga. From them I gathered information about Lake Iki ; 

 another called Mohrya, re])orted to have hiits on it built on 

 piles ; and yet another, named Kassali, on which there M'ere 

 floating islands. 



At lirst I was unable to make much use of this information, 

 owing to their imperfect knowledge of Kisuahili ; but after- 

 ward, when I had obtained the key, it proved most valuable. 

 Besides these, Tipo-tipo also sent one of his leading men to 

 journey ten days with me on the road. 



The only drawback I experienced to the comfort of Tii)o- 



