THE " ISLAND FAR AWAY." 



109 



back, falling towards the water — here shelving, 

 there steep, on the sea-side — where it ends in abrupt 

 cliffs, here and there broken by broad or narrow 

 gorges. Green from head to foot, in richness and profuse- 

 ness of vegetation it equals, and perhaps excels, the 

 shores of the Tanganyika, and in parts it appears care- 

 fully cultivated. Mariners dare not disembark on 

 Ubwari, except at the principal places ; and upon the 

 wooded hill-sides wild men are, or are supposed to be, 

 ever lurking in wait for human prey. 



We halted two miserable days at Wafanya. The 

 country is peculiarly rich, dotted with numerous hamlets, 

 which supply provisions, and even milk, and divided 

 into dense thickets, palm-groves, and large clear- 

 ings of manioc, holcus, and sweet potatoes, which 

 mantle like a garment the earth's brown body. Here 

 we found Kannena snugly ensconced in our sepoy's pal, 

 or ridge-tent. He had privily obtained it from Said 

 bin Salim, with a view to add to his and his ward's 

 comfort and dignity. When asked to give it up — we were 

 lodging, I under a lug-sail, brought from the coast 

 and converted into an awning, and my companion in 

 the wretched flimsy article purchased from the Fundi — 

 he naively refused. Presently having seen a fat sheep, he 

 came to me declaring that it was his perquisite : more- 

 over, he insisted upon receiving the goat offered to us by 

 the Sultan Kanoni. I at first demurred. His satis- 

 factory rejoinder was : " Ngema, ndugu yango ! — 

 Well, my brother, — here we remain!" I consulted 

 Bombay about the necessity of humouring him in every 

 whim. " What these jungle-niggers want," quoth my 

 counsel, " that they will have, or they will see the 

 next month's new moon ! " 



The morning of the 18th April was dark and mena- 

 cing. Huge purpling clouds deformed the face of the 



