MR. STANLEY'S BAGGAGE. 411 



of the guard, with whom I had been conversing, laid hold of my arm, and 

 followed by a noisy drummer, the prisoners, and mob, we pushed on for a 

 dozen yards, and stopped in an open space, where some cows were lying. A 

 twig of grass pinioned each man, and they were made to sit on the ground, 

 speaking calmly, while the crowd, all crushing around, joked as if at a holiday 

 rout. Another delay occurred ; no one had given the order. On being asked 

 ' Might it commence ?' I replied, ' Yes, certainly ; proceed.' The execu- 

 tioner at once took his place, drew his sword, weighed it in his hand, threw 

 up his sleeves, and slipped his feet out of his shoes, while the dense mass all 

 seemed breathless. The executioner was a small man, respectably dressed, 

 looking like an Indian. The prisoners sat three yards apart, one slightly in 

 advance of the other. The foremost was then ordered to bend his head, when, 

 with one stroke, the back of his neck was cut to the vertebrae ; he fell forward, 

 and lay breathing steadily, with his right cheek in his own blood, without a 

 sound or struggle. The executioner, after wiping his sword on the loin cloth 

 of the dying man, coolly felt its edge. The other victim had seen all, and 

 never moved nor spoke. The same horrible scene was again enacted, but with 

 a different result ; the man jerked upwards from his squatting position, and fell 

 back on his left side, with no sound nor after struggle. Both appeared as if in 

 a deep sleep ; two chickens hopped on the still quivering bodies, and the cows 

 in the open space lay undisturbed. 



" I left the spot, hoping never to witness such another scene ; but I had the 

 satisfaction of feeling that justice was carried out, and that had I not been 

 present, these murderers would have escaped punishment, owing to the 

 effeminancy and timidity of the Sultan of Zanzibar. Their accomplices, each 

 with a cleft log on his neck, were taken to witness the bodies." 



Mr. Stanley gives an interesting account of the impedimenta he collected 

 for his journey, after consulting with a grey-bearded old Sheikh, and several 

 Arab merchants he introduced him to. Putting the number of his party at 

 100, he was informed that ten doti — 10 yards of cloth per day — would be 

 sufficient for food. About 4,000 doti of various kinds of cloth were purchased. 

 Next in importance to cloth was the kind and quality of beads necessary. 

 These were selected of various colours, as only a particular kind or colour of 

 bead would circulate in each of the districts through which he had to pass. 

 Wire was another important article. Three hundred and fifty pounds of brass 

 wire, nearly as thick as telegraph wire, was his stock of this important com- 

 modity. In addition to these he purchased a plentiful supply of provisions, 

 cooking utensils, rope, twine, tents, bagging, canvas, tools, ammunition, guns, 

 bedding, hatchets, medicines, presents for chiefs, boats, &c, &c, until his 

 bago-age weighed in all about six tons. No wonder he asked himself, " How 

 will it ever be possible to move all this inert mass across the wilderness, 

 stretching between the sea and the great lakes of Africa ?" 



