410 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



in the next hut to him for two weeks, described him as looking 

 old, with long grey moustache and beard, just recovered from 

 severe illness, looking very wan ; when fully recovered, Living- 

 stone intended to visit a country called Manyuema, by way of 

 Marungu. 



A WONDERFUL AFRICAN CITY. 



THE march now followed the valley of the Ungerengeri until 

 the walled city of Simbamwenni was reached. This is one of 

 the wonderful cities of Africa. The town contains about one 

 thousand houses, and a population of perhaps 5,000. The houses 

 are eminently African, but are strongly constructed. The forti- 

 fications are after an Arabic-Persian model combining Arab neat- 

 ness with Persian architecture. They are stone, pierced with 

 two rows of loop-holes for musketry. The area of the town is 

 about half a square mile, its plan being quadrangular. Well- 

 built towers of stone guard each corner ; four gates, one facing 

 each cardinal point, and set half-way between the several towers, 

 permit ingress and egress for its inhabitants. The gates are 

 closed with solid square doors, made of African teak, and carved 

 with the infinites! mally fine and complicated devices of the 

 Arabs, from which it is supposed that the doors were made either 

 at Zanzibar or on the coast, and conveyed to Simbamwenni plank 

 by plank ; yet as there is much communication between Baga- 

 moyo and Simbamwenni, it is just possible that native artisans 

 are the authors of this ornate workmanship, as several doors, 

 chiseled and carved in the same manner, though not quite so 

 elaborately, are visible in the largest houses. 



The Sultana, or ruler of this African city, is the eldest daughter 

 of the famous Kisabengo, who VV.MS another Theodore on a small 

 scale. Sprung from humble ancestry, he acquired distinction for 

 his personal strength, his powers of harangue, and his amusing 

 and versatile address, by which he gained great ascendency over 

 fugitive slaves, and was chosen a leader among them. Fleeing 

 from justice which awaited him at the hands of the Zanzibar 

 Sultan, he arrived in Ukami, and here he commenced a career of 

 conquest, the result of which was the acquisition of an immense 



