260 THE LAKE KEGIONS OF CENTRAL AFEICA. 



conflagration had extended to the nearer hovels, con- 

 suming the cloth, grain, and furniture of the inmates. 

 Fortunately, the humans and the cattle escaped ; but a 

 delay was inevitable. The elder who owned the chief 

 hut demanded only eighty-eight cloths, one slave, 

 thirteen Fundo of beads, and other minor articles : — a 

 lesser sum would have purchased the whole household. 

 His cupidity was restrained by Kiringawana, who 

 named as indemnity thirty cloths, here worth thirty 

 dollars, which I gave with extreme unwillingness, pro- 

 mising the sons of Kamji, who appeared rather to enjoy 

 the excitement, that they should pay for their careless- 

 ness at Zanzibar. 



During the second day's halt, I attempted to obtain 

 from Kiringawana a permission to depart from the 

 beaten track. The noble descent of this chief gives him 

 power over the guides of the Wanyamwezi caravans. 

 In consequence of an agreement with the Diwans of the 

 Mrima, he has lately closed the direct route to Kilwa, 

 formerly regularly traversed, and he commands a little 

 army of touters. He returned a gracious reply, which 

 in East Africa, however, means no gracious intentions. 



Resuming our march on the 22nd of December, we 

 descended from the eminence into the basin of the 

 Yovu River, and fought our way through a broad 

 " Wady," declining from east to west, with thick lines 

 of tree and bush down the centre, and everywhere else 

 an expanse of dark and unbroken green, like a plate of 

 spinach. Passing along the southern bank amongst 

 wild Annonas and fine Palmyras, over a good path 

 where there was little mud, we presently ascended 

 rising ground through an open forest, of the rainbow 

 hues before described, where sweet air and soft filmy 

 shade formed, whilst the sun was low and the breath 



