Chap. I. ISLAND OF PITA. 37 



that householders in the old village preferred to resign all 

 offices rather than remove. The Major had a great 

 desire to assist Dr. Livingstone in his enterprise; and 

 said that when the war was past he would at once take up 

 his goods to Tette in canoes ; and this he afterwards most 

 generously did. While returning to Nyaruka, we heard a 

 bird like a nightingale pouring forth its sweet melody in 

 the stillness of the evening. 



A picturesque range of lofty hills commences on the left 

 bank opposite Senna, and runs in a northerly direction, nearly 

 parallel with the river. Here we first fell in with that fine 

 antelope, the koodoo {Antelope strepsiceros). Some miles above 

 Senna is the island of Pita, with a considerable native 

 population, which appeared to be well off for food. A half- 

 caste, claiming to be the headman, came on board, and 

 gave us a few ears of green maize as a "seguati." This 

 is not an ordinary present, but a very small gift, which 

 is to win back to the donor at least twice its value. When 

 a stingy native has a tough little fowl, or a few ears of Indian 

 corn, the value of which is hardly appreciable, — as a dozen of 

 then best fowls only cost two yards of cloth (once threepence 

 a yard), and a basket of maize but half a yard, — he forms it 

 into a "seguati," his heart overflowing with that gratitude 

 once described as a lively sense of favours to come, and 

 is rather disappointed if he does not get twice the value 

 in return. We soon learned to dislike " seguati " from com- 

 mon people, but it was in vain to say to the shrewd African, 

 "Sell it; we will buy it." "Oh, no, sir; it is a seguati; it is 

 not for sale," was the invariable reply. As it is understood 

 to be a compliment, we always submitted to this customary 

 politeness from headmen. To have done otherwise would 

 have seemed to ourselves like ungracious manners from the 



