76 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



lighting for many months. After conquering the 

 Warori, the Watuta settled in Sultan Ironga's lands, 

 rather by might than right, and they were expelled by 

 his son with the greatest difficulty. From U'ungu their 

 next step was to the southern bank of the Malagarazi 

 Iiiver. About three years ago this restless tribe was 

 summoned by Mzogera, the present Sultan of Uvinza, 

 to assist him in seizing Uhha, which had just lost 

 T'hare, its chief. The Watuta crossed the Malagarazi, 

 laid 4vaste the lands of Uhha and Ubuha, and desolated 

 the northern region between the river and the lake. 

 Shortly afterwards they attacked Msene, and were only 

 repulsed by the matchlocks of the Arabs, after a week 

 of hard skirmishing. In the early part of 1858 they 

 slew Ruhembe, the Sultan of Usui, a district north of 

 Unyanyembe, upon the road to Karagwah. In the 

 latter half of the same year they marched upon Ujiji, 

 plundered Gungu, and proceeded to attack Kawele. 

 The Arab merchants, however, who were then absent 

 on a commercial visit to Uviva, returned precipitately 

 to defend their depots, and with large bodies of slave 

 musketeers beat off the invader. The lands of the 

 Watuta are now bounded on the north by Utumbara, 

 on the south by Msene ; eastwards by the meridian 

 of Wilyankuru, and westwards by the highlands of 

 Urundi. 



The Watuta, according to the Arabs, are a pastoral 

 tribe, despising, like the Wamasai and the Somal, such 

 luxuries as houses and fields ; they wander from place 

 to place, camping under trees, over which they throw 

 their mats, and driving their herds and plundered cattle 

 to the most fertile pasture-grounds. The dress is some- 

 times a mbugu or bark-cloth ; more generally it is con- 

 fined to the humblest tribute paid to decency by the 



