1866.] TEEEOK OF NATIVES OWING TO MAZITII. 39 



while the granite always shows lumps of naked rock. All 

 about lie great patches of beautiful dolomite. It may have 

 been formed by baking of the tufa, which in this country 

 seems always to have been poured out with water after 

 volcanic action. Hassane's daughter was just lifting a pot 

 of French beans, boiled in their pods, off the fire when we 

 entered the village, these he presented to me, and when I 

 invited him to partake, he replied that he was at home 

 and would get something, while I was a stranger on a 

 journey. He, like all the other headmen, is a reputed 

 doctor, and his wife, a stout old lady, a doctoress ; he had 

 never married any wife but this one, and he had four 

 children, all of whom lived with their parents. We em- 

 ployed one of his sons to go to the south side and purchase 

 food, sending at the same time some carriers to buy for 

 themselves. The siroko and rice bought by Hassane's son 

 we deposited with him for the party behind, when they 

 should arrive. The amount of terror the Mazitu inspire 

 cannot be realized by us. They shake their shields and the 

 people fly like stricken deer. I observed that a child would 

 not go a few yards for necessary purposes unless grand- 

 mother stood in sight. Matumora, as the Arabs call the 

 chief at Ngomano, gave them a warm reception, and killed 

 several of them : this probably induced them to retire. 



15th and 16th May. — Miserably short marches from 

 hunger, and I sympathise with the poor fellows. Those sent 

 to buy food for themselves on the south bank were misled 

 by a talkative fellow named Chikungu, and went off north, 

 where we knew nothing could be had. His object was to get 

 paid for three days, while they only loitered here. I suppose 

 hunger has taken the spirit out of them ; but I told them 

 that a day in which no work was done did not count : they 

 admitted this. We pay about two feet of calico per day, and 

 a fathom or six feet for three days' carriage. 



17th May. — With very empty stomachs they came on a 



