160 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



escorted by a full gang of bearers. The former, 

 bursting with irritation, began that loud speaking which 

 in the East is equivalent to impertinence; he was easily 

 silenced by a more explosive and an angrier tone of voice. 

 Having breakfasted, we set out leisurely, and after re- 

 joining Said bin Majid's party we advanced until evening 

 fell upon us at the end of the first day's stage. 



I have related the tale of our departure from the 

 Tanganyika somewhat circumstantially : it was truly 

 characteristic of Arab travelling in Eastern Africa. 

 Said bin Salim had scant cause for hurry : slaves rarely 

 desert on the day of departure ; knowing themselves to 

 be watched they wait their opportunity, and find it 

 perhaps — as our caravan discovered to its loss — a week 

 or two afterwards. The Arab was determined to gain a 

 few miles by passing the appointed station ; he did so, 

 and he lost two days. In his haste and dread of delay, 

 he had neglected to lay in salt, ghee, or any other stores 

 for the road but grain : consequently he was detained 

 at half a dozen places to procure them. Finally, 

 his froward children, who had done their utmost 

 to waste time in the bazar, were not reproved, much 

 less punished. Truly the half-caste Arab of Zan- 

 zibar is almost as futile as the slavish moiety of his 

 ancestry. 



There was little novelty in our return-march to 

 Unyamyembe. We took the northerly route, crossing and 

 skirting the lower spurs of the mountains which form 

 the region of Uhha. During the first few stages, 

 being still within the influence of that bag of iEolus, the 

 Tanganyika trough, we endured tornados of wind and 

 heavy rain, thunder and lightning. After the 5th 

 March the threatening clouds drew off, the dank heavy 

 dew diminished, and the weather became clear and hot, 

 with a raw cold eastern wind pouring through the tepid 



