12 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



the journey a laughable scene took place between an 

 ivory caravan of Wasukumas 1 and my own. On 

 nearing each other, the two kirangozis or leaders 

 slowly advanced, marching in front of the single-file 

 order in which caravans worm along these twisting nar- 

 row tracks, with heads awry, and eyes steadfastly fixed 

 on one another, and with their bodies held motionless 

 and strictly poised, like rams preparing for a fight, 

 rushed in with their heads down, and butted con- 

 tinuously till one gave way. The rest of the caravan 

 then broke up their order of march, and commenced 

 a general melee. In my ignorance for it was the 

 first time I had seen such a scrimmage I hastened 

 to the front with my knobbed stick, and began re- 

 flecting where I could make best use of it in dividing 

 the combatants, and should no doubt have laid to, if 

 I only could have distinguished friend from foe ; but 

 both parties, being black, were so alike, that I hesi- 

 tated until they stopped to laugh at my excited state, 

 and assured me that it was only the enactment of a 

 common custom in the country when two strange 

 caravan-leaders meet, and each doubts who should 

 take the supremacy in choice of side. In two minutes 

 more the antagonists broke into broad laughter, and 

 each went his way. The villages about here are 

 numerous, and the country, after passing the forest, 

 is highly cultivated, and affords plenty of provisions ; 



1 Sukuma means north, and the Wasukumas are consequent- 

 ly northmen, or northern Wanyamuezi. 



