246 E. a Hove— The Heart of .{frica. 



to the beautiful forests and numerous villages of Unyamwesi, we 

 had arrived upon the central heights of the continent, which 

 everything around us bespoke its best part ; the clearer, more 

 healthy air, the rich land, the oj^en forests, the numerous and 

 industrious peo^jle, all spoke eloquently of a better and brighter 

 state of things in the interior of Africa than on its outside. 



At Urambo we elicited the i^leased surprise of our friend, the 

 famous chief Mirambo. Said Mirambo, laying his hand em- 

 phatically on one of the boat sections, " This boat and these 

 carts are mine, and all Unyamwesi is yours." It was his way 

 of expressing symiDathy and admiration of what he considered 

 to be a very wonderful enterprise, and we left him pondering 

 more deeply than ever on the doings of the " white men." 



The rains were now at hand and the country rich and verdant ; 

 we hastened on with all speed possible to enable us to cross the 

 Malagarasi river before it should be too swollen. Emerging from 

 elevated forest land to a view of the valley of the river, it appears 

 like a vast level expanse of harmless grass, but the swift river is 

 flowing in the bottom. The toll required by the natives being 

 paid, we descended to the river through the thick grass. We 

 crossed the river in tiny dug-out or bark canoes managed by the 

 natives; One old man, a leader among these ferrymen, we had 

 especial cause to notice; we called him " the old admiral." He 

 wore a curious skull cap apparently inade of bladder, and pre- 

 sented a most odd appearance. To him we paid a special fee of 

 propitiation for the boatmen. As we proceeded down toward 

 the river the first sign of it among the long grass was quiet shal- 

 low water on the path ; this grew deeper and deeper as we walked 

 on until we were immersed to the armpits, the grass rising 

 avenue-like overhead. We emerged upon a small island or ris- 

 ing ground, and the river proper was before us. On this little 

 eminence stood " the old admiral " superintending all. The por- 

 ters and their ordinary loads all crossed in the usual Avay, two 

 or three at a time in the little' canoes. The two large carts, with 

 the bow and stern compartments of the boatfe, were floated along 

 the watery avenue by the buoyancy of their tank-like loads ; the 

 others came, sections and carts, separately. The fare for each 

 load was one yard of calico, but when the carts appeared there 

 was general astonishment among the ferrymen, who showed signs 

 of clearing off altogether ; " the old admiral " alone was unmoved ; 

 his stolid countenance showed no sign, l)ut a deep bass growl, 



