4 



AGRICULTURE, 



skins, scarred and seamed by small-pox; huge 

 mouths, and rolling eves. Not a few were lame 

 and toothless, and the general dress was the 

 ungraceful swaddle of blue, checked or indigo- 

 dyed stuff. Presently we were addressed by an 

 old man, carrying a spear, and attired in Arab 

 fashion, of red cap, loin-cloth (Futali), and Tobe 

 (Taub), or shoulder-scarf. Taking us for traders, 

 who came to buy cocoa and cloves, he placed a 

 Kitandali (cot) under the central calabash, the 

 gossip-place of the village, and brought us cocoa- 

 nut-water, which here takes the place of cof- 

 fee. In vain wo offered high prices for meat ; 

 geese, ducks, and fowls, however, were abund- 

 ant. 



After a short rest we set out northwards, to 

 inspect the plantations. Most of the men were 

 at work in their Mashamba ; the weeds had 

 been burned for manure, the primitive manner 

 of restoring nutrition to the soil, and the peasant, 

 with his rude implements, was smoothing the 

 lowlands for paddy. Already tlie light sliowcrs 

 of the Azyab had flood(»d the ground, and the 

 stagnant stream whicli we forded was choked 

 with rush and sedge. A * Tell,* or dwarf rise, 

 was occupied by a farm belonging to the late 

 Sayyid; here wc were again seated and supplied 



