Chap. XXVII. DIFFICULTY ABOUT GUIDES. 547 



hunters to the population was very small. The Africans 

 here, as a rule, are of the agricultural class, and, when they 

 have a prospect of reaping their grain in peace, must enjoy 

 a pretty comfortable life. 



On 2nd October we applied to Muazi for guides to take 

 us straight down to Chinsamba's at Mosapo, and thus cut off 

 an angle, which we should otherwise make, by going back to 

 Kota-kota Bay. He replied that his people knew the short 

 way to Chinsamba's that we desired to go, but that they all 

 were afraid to venture there, on account of the Zulus, or 

 Mazitu. We therefore started back on our old route, and, 

 after three hours' march, found some Babisa in a village, 

 who promised to lead us to Chinsamba. 



We meet with these keen traders everywhere. They are 

 easily known by a line of horizontal cicatrices, each half an 

 inch long, down the middle of the forehead and chin. They 

 often wear the hair collected in a mass on the upper and 

 back part of the head, while it is all shaven off the fore- 

 head and temples. The Babisa and Waiau or Ajawa heads 

 have more of the round bullet-shape than those of the 

 Manganja, indicating a marked difference in character ; the 

 former people being great traders and travellers, the latter 

 being attached to home and agriculture. The Manganja usu- 

 ally intrust their ivory to the Babisa to be sold at the Coast, 

 and complain that the returns made never come up to the 

 high prices which they hear so much about before it is sent. 

 In fact, by the time the Babisa return, the expenses of the 

 journey, in which they often spend a month or two at a 

 place where food abounds, usually eat up all the profits. 



The Babisa have a different dialect from the Manganja, 

 but all readily converse together. In passing among the 

 different tribes, it is only necessary to know one dialect well, 

 and then interpreters are easily found. Masiko, one of the 



2 n 2 



