CHIEF ANFINA. 137 



later. I was compelled to rest here for a few days until porters 

 arrived and my patients improved. The soil at Fauvera con- 

 sists of a white sand mixed with a yellowish clay, in which 

 sweet potatoes, durrah, and especially maize thrive splendidly. 

 I left here, for experimental purposes, white peas from Karagwa, 

 and seeds of Carica papaya from Uganda, and I shall send 

 wheat from Khartum. The vegetation here is very luxuriant, 

 but my stay was unfortunately spoilt by the numerous mos- 

 quitos, and still more by the frogs. The latter are found in 

 the river in great numbers, as also large Protopterus annec- 

 tens (Owen). 



Eows of hills run obliquely across the extensive park land, 

 which stretches out on the other side of Fauvera as far as. 

 Deang, our first halting-place on the road to Kiroto. Here and 

 there the whole wealth of African vegetation unfolded itself, 

 but human being's were nowhere to be seen. The little village 

 of Deang is surrounded by a thin wood, in which masses of the 

 red blossoms of the Canna inclica are to be seen, as well as 

 aloes and red passion flowers. 



The next part of the route, from Deang to Kijaja, where 

 Rionga's people received us kindly, can only be described as a 

 perfect sea of grass. These marches through the grass are 

 very laborious, as one has literally to cut one's way through, 

 especially when travelling with sick men, as we were. White 

 Crinum filled the air with its odour ; it thrives best under 

 the shade of high trees. We were only able to make very 

 short marches, for the men could hardly walk, and I had no 

 riding animals for them ; I was therefore compelled to halt 

 next at Anfina's zeriba, Panyatoli, which lay a little to the 

 north-west. There we met Anfina himself, and he again con- 

 firmed the good impression which he has always made upon 

 me. He is the only Negro gentleman whom I have met with 

 during four years' journeys in this territory, Mtesa not ex- 

 cepted. Among the spectators who crowded round us were 

 several Wichwezi sorceresses, who are to be found in the house- 

 hold of every independent chief; their appearance is most 

 striking, owing to their long curls of hair entwined with 

 coloured cotton threads and their bead ornaments. The people 

 are mostly clad in skins, but bark cloths are also to be seen. 



