52 MKTJLI TO THE CAPITAL OF UNYORO. 



opportunity they picked up some bananas or a sweet potato. 

 Towards midday we reached our former station, Londii, the 

 defenceless stockade of which, with many a spot charred black 

 by fire, produced a very painful impression. The zeriba had 

 not been occupied by the Negroes, as a sort of superstitious 

 fear prevents them from dwelling in houses previously occupied 

 by us. Small herds of bullocks and goats and a few solitary 

 inhabitants were visible in the vicinity. 



After having settled ourselves for the night as best we 

 could, we sent to the chief of the district, who lived near, 

 to request porters for the morrow, as Kabrega had promised 

 them. I should have preferred my own porters from Mruli, 

 as I could then have been more independent in my move- 

 ments ; but Rionga's people absolutely refused to follow me 

 into the land of their deadly enemy, and thus I had to rely 

 upon Kabrega's people. Biabo, the Matongali who had charge 

 of this place, a corpulent young man with slightly prognathous 

 features, paid me a visit in company with five or six of his 

 men. They were reddish-brown in colour, except one who 

 was deep black — a man from the district of Shifalii, which 

 lies near the rapids of Tada. The colour of the people 

 throughout this country is very various, and graduates from 

 black to yellow ; yet, for the most part, the fundamental 

 colour is red. The people are clothed in soft ox-hides, 

 from which the hair has been removed, except at the borders, 

 where a strip of hair of two fingers'-breadth has been left as 

 an ornament ; their costume is completed by arm-rings and 

 anklets made of brass and necklets composed of roots. The 

 head is not shaved — shaving is a sign of mourning — indeed 

 you often see very elegant cork-screw-like curls. A small pre- 

 sent of beads procured me in return several baskets full of 

 sweet potatoes, and as I had brought a bullock with me from 

 Kisiiga and presented it to my porters, song and revelry lasted 

 far into the night. 



During the night rain began to fall gently, and early on 

 the 1 6th it poured down in torrents ; but in spite of that, the 

 promised porters arrived, and I prepared for the journey. 

 Considering, however, that the baggage would get an unavoid- 

 able soaking, and that the troublesome and useless tent we had 



