THE "SON OF NOISE." 



97 



must voyage on the lake build, by means of their menials 

 and artisans, dows, or sailing-vessels, and teach their 

 newly-bought gangs to use oars instead of paddles. This 

 is rather an economy of money than of time : they ex- 

 pend six months upon making the dow, whereas they can 

 buy the largest canoe for a few farasilah of ivory. 



As my outfit was already running low, I persuaded, 

 before departure, two of the Baloch to return with a 

 down-caravan westwards, and arrived at Unyanyembe, 

 to communicate personally with my agent, Snay bin 

 Amir. They agreed so to do, but the Mtongi, or 

 head of the African kafilah, with true African futi- 

 lity, promised to take them on the next day, and set 

 out that night on his journey. As Said bin Majid 

 was about despatching a large armed party to the north 

 of the Lake, I then hurried on my preparations for the 

 voyage. Provisions and tobacco were laid in, the tent 

 was repaired, and our outfit, four half loads of salt — of 

 these two were melted in the canoe, six Gorah, — or one 

 load of domestics, nine coil-bracelets, the remainder of 

 our store, one load of blue porcelain beads, and a small 

 bag of the valuable red coral intended for private ex- 

 penses, and " El Akibah " (the reserve), was properly 

 packed for concealment. Meanwhile some trifling dis- 

 putes occurred with Kannena, who was in the habit of 

 coming to our Tembe, drunk and surly, with eyes like 

 two gouts of blood, knitted front, and lips viciously shot 

 out: when contradicted or opposed, he screamed and 

 gesticulated as if haunted by hisP'hepo, — his fiend; — and 

 when very evilly disposed, he would proceed to the ex- 

 treme measure of cutting down a tent. This slave-sultan 

 was a " son of noise :" he affected brusquerie of manner 

 and violence of demeanour the better to impressionise 

 his unruly subjects ; and he frightened the timid souls 



VOL. II. H 



