30 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



East Africa ; and even amongst them, the Wakalaganza, 

 Wasumbwa, and Wasukuma are the only tribes who 

 regularly visit the coast in this capacity. They are now 

 no longer "honest and civil to strangers" — semi-civi- 

 lisation has hitherto tended to degradation. They seem 

 to have learned but little by their intercourse with the 

 Arabs. Commerce with them is still in its infancy. 

 They have no idea of credit, although in Karagwah 

 and the northern kingdoms payment may be delayed 

 for a period of two years. They cannot, like some of 

 their neighbours, bargain : a man names the article 

 which he requires, and if it be not forthcoming he will 

 take no other. The porters, who linger upon the coast 

 or in the island of Zanzibar, either cut grass for asses, 

 carry stones and mortar to the town, for which they 

 receive a daily hire of from two to eight pice, or they 

 obtain from the larger landholders permission to reclaim 

 and cultivate a. plot of ground for vegetables and 

 manioc. They have little of the literature, songs and 

 tales, common amongst barbarians ; and though they 

 occasionally indulge in speeches, they do not, like many 

 kindred tribes, cultivate eloquence. On the march they 

 beguile themselves with chanting for hours together 

 half a dozen words eternally repeated. Their language 

 is copious but confused, and they are immoderately fond 

 of simple and meaningless syllables used as interjec- 

 tions. Their industry is confined to weaving coarse 

 cloths of unbleached cotton, neatly-woven baskets, 

 wooden milk-bowls, saddle-bags for their asses, and 

 arms. They rear asses and load them lightly when 

 travelling to the coast, but they have not yet learned to 

 ride them. Though they carefully fence and ditch 

 their fields, they have never invented a plough, con- 

 fining themselves to ridging the land with the laborious 



