AFRICAN" IN HOSPITALITY. 



131 



Africa. Travellers are agreed that in these countries 

 " baggage is life the heartless and inhospitable race 

 will not give a handful of grain without return, and to 

 use the Moslem phrase, " Allah pity him who must beg 

 of a beggar ! " As usual on such occasions, the Baloch 

 began to clamour for more rations — they received two 

 cloths per diem — and to demand a bullock wherewith 

 to celebrate their Eed or greater Festival. There were 

 several Arab merchants at Kawele, but they had ex- 

 hausted their stock in purchasing slaves and ivory. 

 None in fact were so rich as ourselves, and we were 

 reduced to ten shukkah, ten fundo of coral beads, and 

 one load of black porcelains, which were perfectly use- 

 less. With this pittance we had to engage hammals 

 for the hammock, to feed seventy-five mouths, and to 

 fee several Sultans ; in fact, to incur the heavy expenses 

 of marching back 260 miles to Unyanyembe. 



Still, with an enviable development of Hope, Said bin 

 Salim determined that we should reach Kazeh un- 

 famished. We made the necessary preparations for the 

 journey, patched tents and umbrella, had a grand 

 washing and scouring day, mended the portmanteaus, 

 and ground the grain required for a month's march, 

 hired four porters for the manchil, distributed ammu- 

 nition to Said bin Salim and the Baloch, who at once 

 invested it in slaves, and exchanged with Said bin Majid 

 several pounds of lead for palm-oil, which would be an 

 economy at the Mai agar azi Ferry. For some days past 

 rumours had reached here that a large caravan of 

 Wanyamwazi porters, commanded by an Arab merchant, 

 was approaching Kawele. I was not sanguine enough to 

 expose myself to another disappointment. Suddenly on 

 the 2 2d May, frequent musket shots announced the 

 arrival of strangers, and at noon the Tembe was sur- 



K 2 



