226 THE LAKE EEGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



Hindostani from his father, who curious to say, after 

 an expatriation of thirty-five years, still spoke his 

 mother-tongue purely and well. The youth would 

 have become a greater favourite had he not been so 

 hard a drinker and so quarrelsome in his cups; on 

 more than one occasion he had dangerously cut or 

 stabbed his servile boon-companions. Musa had spared 

 the rod, or had used it upon him to very little purpose ; 

 after intruding himself repeatedly into the hall and 

 begging for handsome clothes, with more instance of 

 freedom than consisted with decorum, he was warned 

 that if he stayed away it might be the better for his 

 back, and he took the warning. 



Musa, when rested after his weary return-march, 

 called upon me with all due ceremony, escorted by the 

 principal Arab merchants. I was not disappointed in 

 finding him wholly ignorant concerning Africa and 

 things African ; Snay bin Amir had told me that such 

 was the case. He had, however, a number of slaves 

 fresh from Karagwah and Uganda, who confirmed the 

 accounts previously received from Arab travellers in 

 those regions. Musa displayed even more hospitality 

 than his fellow-travellers. Besides the mbogoro or 

 skinful of grain and the goat usually offered to fresh 

 arrivals, he was ever sending those little presents of 

 provisions which in the East cannot be refused without 

 offence. I narrowly prevented his killing a bullock to 

 provide us with beef, and at last I feared to mention a 

 want before him. During his frequent visits he invari- 

 ably showed himself a man of quiet and unaffected 

 manners, dashed with a little Indian reserve, which in 

 process of time would probably have worn off. 



On the 6th September, Said bin Salim, nervously im- 

 patient to commence the march homewards, " made a 



