164 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



from the view, leaving its reflection upon the canopy of 

 lurid smoke studded with sparks and bits of live braise, 

 which marked its descent on the other side of the but- 

 tress. Resuming our march along the cold and foggy 

 vale of the Malagarazi, and crossing on the third day 

 the stony slabby hills that bound the fluviatile plain 

 northward, we reached, on the 4th June, the dreaded 

 ferry-place of the river. 



The great Malagarazi still swollen, though the rains 

 had ceased, by the surplus moisture of the sopped earth, 

 had spread its wide heart of shallow waters, variegated 

 with narrow veins — a deeper artery in the centre 

 showing the main stream — far over the plain. Thus 

 offering additional obstacles to crossing, it was turned 

 to good account by the Mutware, the Lord of the Ferry. 

 On arrival at the Kraal overlooking the river I sum- 

 moned this Charon, who demanded as his preliminary 

 obolus one pot of oil, seven cloths, and 300 khete 

 of blue porcelains. Said bin Majid, our companion, 

 paid about one-fifth the sum. But the Kraal was 

 uncomfortable, we were stung out by armies of ants ; 

 a slight earthquake, at 11.15 a.m., on the 4th June, 

 appeared a bad omen to Said bin Salim : briefly, I was 

 compelled to countenance the extortion. On the next 

 morning we set out, having been cannily preceded by 

 Said bin Majid. Every difficulty was thrown in the 

 way of our boxes and baggage. Often, when I refused 

 the exorbitant sum of four and even five khete per load, 

 the fellows quietly poled off, squatted in their canoes, 

 and required to be summoned back by Said bin Salim 

 with the abjectest concessions. They would not take 

 on board a Goanese or a Baloch without extra pay, and 

 they landed, under some pretext, Said bin Salim and the 

 Jemadar upon a dry knoll in the waste of waters, and 



