26 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



with the other places on that line, that the coast 

 people quote it as a wonderful instance of high popu- 

 lation; but this district astonished all my retinue. 

 The road to-day was literally thronged with a legion 

 of black humanity so exasperatingly bold, that noth- 

 ing short of the stick could keep them from jostling 

 me. Poor creatures ! they said they had come a long 

 way to see, and now must have a good long stare ; for 

 when was there ever a Mzungu here before ? 



"We broke ground on the 20th at 6 A.M., and after 

 travelling through high cultivation six miles, were 

 suddenly stopped by a guard of "VVamandas, sent by 

 Kurua, a sultan of that tribe, and chief of the division 

 we were marching in. Their business was to inform 

 us that if we wished to travel to the Lake, the sultan 

 would give directions to have us escorted by another 

 route, as his eldest brother was disputing the rights 

 of government with him along the line we were now 

 pursuing ; and added, that our intentions would be 

 only known to him by the part we might choose to 

 take. These constant interruptions were becoming 

 very troublesome ; so, as we were close to the confines 

 of these two malcontents, I was anxious to force our 

 way on, and agreed to do so with the Belooches. But 

 the tiresome, lazy, flesh-seeking pagazis saw a feast in 

 prospect by the sultan's arrangement, and would not 

 move an inch. Further, the kirangozi requested his 

 discharge if I was otherwise than peacefully inclined. 

 The guard then led us to Mgogwa, the sultan's village, 



