232 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOUENALS. [Chap. IX. 



shoulders ; a nice, modest, good-looking young woman, her 

 hair rubbed all over with nkola, a red pigment, made from the 

 camwood, and much used as an ornament. She was accom- 

 panied by about a dozen young and old female attendants, 

 each carrying a small basket with some provisions, as cas- 

 sava, ground-nuts, &c. The Arabs were all dressed in their 

 finery, and the slaves, in fantastic dresses, flourished swords, 

 fired guns, and yelled. When she was brought to Hamees' 

 hut she descended, and with her maids went into the hut. 

 She and her attendants had all small, neat features. I had 

 been sitting with Hamees, and now rose up and went away ; 

 as I passed him, he spoke thus to himself : " Hamees Wadim 

 Tagh ! see to what you have brought yourself ! ! " 



15th September. — A guide had come from Nsama to take 

 us to the countries beyond his territory. Hamees set off 

 this morning with his new wife to his father-in-law, but 

 was soon met by two messengers, who said that he was not 

 to come yet. We now sent for all the people who were 

 out to go west or north-west without reference to Nsama. 



l&h-lSth September. — Hamidi went to Nsama to try and 

 get guides, but he would not let him come into his stockade 

 unless he came up to it without either gun or sword. Hamidi 

 would not go in on these conditions, but Nsama promised 

 guides, and they came after a visit by Hamees to Nsama, 

 which he paid Avithout telling any of us : he is evidently 

 ashamed of his father-in-law. 



Those Arabs who despair of ivory invest their remaining 

 beads and cloth in slaves. 



20th September. — I had resolved to go to Nsama's, and 

 thence to Moero to-day, but Hamees sent to say that men 

 had come, and we were all to go with them on the 22nd.' 

 Nsama was so vacillating that I had no doubt but this was 

 best. 



Hamees' wife, seeing the preparations that were made 

 for starting, thought that her father was to be attacked, 



