A HOMELY DINNER. 45 



Although, it was raining hard, and we were compelled 

 to halt, difficulties were at first put in our way, but at 

 last we were allowed to take possession of two houses ; and 

 when I gave permission for the ox we had brought with 

 us to be killed, a lively trade ensued between my people, who 

 offered meat in exchange for other things, and the inhabitants 

 of the village, who brought for barter sweet potatoes, bananas, 

 and especially cobs of maize in bundles. So our evening meal 

 was arranged for very satisfactorily. Meat roasted in ashes, 

 and maize cobs prepared in the same way instead of bread, are 

 not at all to be despised. Just as we were so engaged, there 

 suddenly appeared three of Mreko's people, who had been sent 

 after me to persuade me to wait. Exceedingly comical was the 

 description of these Matongali how Mreko had inquired after 

 me all along the way, and had everywhere been told that we 

 had passed long ago ! and how at last he naively asked, how 

 in the world I had found my way alone. 



Crowds of people surrounded me at every step, and amongst 

 them many women. Specially striking was a tall, red-brown 

 girl of about eight years old, quite naked, unless one can give 

 the name of clothing to a cord with three pieces of wood, of 

 from one or two inches long, hanging in front. Her breasts 

 were not yet developed. This was the first case that I saw in 

 Uganda of a female being quite unclothed, but I was subse- 

 quently told that here, as in Unyoro, the girls usually go 

 about nude until puberty. Boys of six to seven years old are 

 very frequently seen in this state, but they always wear a small 

 apron. Men and women cover themselves with large pieces of 

 bark cloth tied in a knot over the shoulder ; the women gene- 

 rally simply wrap themselves in it, making it fast just under 

 the armpits. Both sexes, however, wear a kind of under- 

 garment of the same material, reaching in the case of the 

 men from the hips to the knees, and in that of the women as 

 far as the ankles. The upper-garment is frequently fastened 

 on by a girdle of skin or dried banana leaves. 



I noticed here for the first time an abundance of sugarcane 

 of the blue-green variety. 



My things had not yet arrived, so that this time I had to 

 sleep on green banana leaves. If only it were not so terribly 



