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THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



in the shape of slaves and ivory, cattle and provisions. 

 Milk must be forwarded by proprietors of cows and 

 herds even from a distance of three days' march. 

 Armanika is an absolute ruler, and he governs without 

 squeamishness. Adulterers are punished by heavy fines 

 in cattle, murderers are speared and beheaded, rebels 

 and thieves are blinded by gouging out the eyes with the 

 finger-joints of the right-hand, and severing the muscles. 

 Subjects are forbidden to sell milk to those who eat 

 beans or salt, for fear of bewitching the animals. The 

 Mkama, who lives without state or splendour, receives 

 travellers with courtesy. Hearing of their approach, he 

 orders his slaves to erect four or five tents for shelter, 

 and he greets them with a large present of provisions. 

 He demands no blackmail, but the offerer is valued 

 according to his offerings : the return gifts are carefully 

 proportioned, and for beads which suit his taste he has 

 sent back an acknowledgment of fifty slaves and forty 

 cows. The price of adult male slaves varies from eight 

 to ten fundo of white, green, or blue porcelain-beads : a 

 woman in her prime costs two kitindi (each equal to one 

 dollar on the coast), and five or six fundo of mixed 

 beasts. Some of these girls, being light-coloured and 

 well favoured, sell for sixty dollars at Zanzibar. The 

 merchants agree in stating that a European would re- 

 ceive in Karagwah the kindest welcome, but that to 

 support the dignity of the white face a considerable 

 sum would be required. Arabs still visit Armanika to 

 purchase slaves, cattle, and ivory, the whitest and 

 softest, the largest and heaviest in this part of Central 

 Africa. The land is rich in iron, and the spears of 

 Karagwah, which are, to some extent, tempered, are 

 preferred to the rude work of the Wafyoma. Sulphur 

 is found, according to the Arabs, near hot springs 



