1866.] ABOLISHING A TOLL. 07 



they put on all their things. It was however such continual 

 vexation to contend with the sneaking spirit, that I gave up 

 annoying myself by seeing matters, though I felt certain 

 that the animals would all be killed. We did at least eight 

 miles pleasantly well, and slept at Moedaa village. The rocks 

 are still syenite. We passed a valley with the large thorny 

 acacias of which canoes are often made, and a euphorbiaceous 

 tree, with seed-vessels as large as mandarin oranges, with 

 three seeds inside. We were now in a country which, in 

 addition to the Mazitu invasion, was suffering from one of 

 those inexplicable droughts to which limited and sometimes 

 large portions of this country are subject. It had not been 

 nearly so severe on the opposite or south side, and thither 

 too the Mazitu had not penetrated. Rushes, which plagued 

 us nearer the coast, are not observed now ; the grass is all 

 crisp and yellow ; many of the plants are dead, and leaves 

 are fallen off the trees as if winter had begun. The ground 

 is covered with open forest, with here and there thick jungle 

 on the banks of the streams. All the rivulets we have passed 

 are mere mountain torrents filled with sand, in which the 

 people dig for water. 



We passed the spot where an Arab called Birkal was 

 asked payment for leave to pass. After two and a half days' 

 parley he fought, killed two Makonde, and mortally wounded 

 a headman, which settled the matter ; no fresh demand has 

 been made. Ali's brother also resisted the same sort of 

 demand, fought several times, or until three Makonde and 

 two of his people were killed ; they then made peace, and no 

 other exactions have been made. 



11th Maij. — We now found a difficulty in getting our 

 carriers along, on account of exhaustion from want of food. 

 In going up a sand stream called Nyede, we saw that all 

 moist spots had been planted with maize and beans, so the 

 loss caused by the Mazitu, Avho swept the land like a cloud 

 of locusts, will not be attended by much actual starvation. 



