262 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



scummy and stagnant rain-water, mere horse-poncls, 

 with the additional qualities of miasma and mosquitos. 

 The sons of Ramji had determined to reach the 

 Makata Nullah, still distant about two hours. I called 

 a halt in favour of the fatigued Pagazi, who heard it 

 with pleasure, and sent to recall Wulaydi, Shehe, and 

 Nasibu, who were acting bell-wethers. The worthies 

 returned after a time, and revenged themselves by pa- 

 rading, with many grimaces, up and down the camp. 



On the morning of the 24th of December, we re- 

 sumed the transit of the Makata Plain, and crossed 

 the tail of its nullah. It was here bone-dry ; conse- 

 quently, had we made it last night, the thirsty caravan 

 would have suffered severely. Ensued a long slope 

 garnished with the normal thin forest ; in two places 

 the plots of ashes, which denote the deaths of wizard 

 and witch, apprised us that we were fast approaching 

 benighted K'hutu. A skeleton caravan of touters, com- 

 posed of six muskets and two flags, met us on the way. 

 Presently we descended into the basin of Kikoboga, 

 which was occupied in force by gentry of the same de- 

 scription. After wading four times the black, muddy, and 

 rushy nullah, which bisects the lake, we crossed a 

 lateral band of rough high ground, whence a further 

 counter-slope bent down to a Khambi in a diminutive 

 hollow, called Mwimbi. It was the ideal of a bad 

 encamping ground. The kraal stood on the bank of 

 a dark, miry water at the head of a narrow gap, 

 where heat was concentrated by the funnel-shaped hill- 

 sides, and where the dark ground, strewed with rotting 

 grass and leaves, harboured hosts of cock-roaches, beetles, 

 and mosquitos. The supplies, a little grain, poor sugar- 

 cane, good wild vegetables, at times plantains, were 

 distant, and the water was vile. Throughout this 

 country, however, the Wasagara cultivators, fearing 



