56 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



that I must remain where I was, to enable him to 

 return the compliment I had paid him, for he 

 intended walking out to see me on the morrow. 



As my time was getting short, I forestalled Mahay a 

 in his intentions, and on the 5th changed ground to 

 the Sultanat, a rural-looking little place, perched on 

 a small rocky promontory, shrouded by green trees, 

 facing the ^".W. side of the lake. Mahaya received 

 me with great courtesy, arranged a hut comfortably, 

 and presented a number of eggs and fresh milk, as he 

 had heard that I was partial to such fare. He is a 

 man of more than ordinary stature, a giant in mini- 

 ature, with massive and muscular but well-propor- 

 tioned limbs ; he must number fifty years or more. 

 His dress was the ordinary barsati ; his arms were set 

 off by heavy brass and copper ornaments encircling 

 the wrists, and by numberless sambo, or thin circles 

 made from the twisted fibres of an aloetic plant, on 

 each of which a single infi, or white porcelain bead 

 resembling a little piece of tobacco-pipe, Avas strung ; 

 these ranged in massive rows down the whole of his 

 upper arm. Just above his elbow-joints sat a pair of 

 large ivory rings. On his forehead two small goat or 

 deer horns were fastened by thin talismanic orna- 

 ments of thong for keeping off the evil eye; and, 

 finally, his neck was adorned with two strings of very 

 coarse blue beads. Mahaya has the fame of being 

 the best and most just sultan in these quarters, and 

 his benign square countenance, lit up with a pleasing 



