38 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTEAL AFEICA. 



his brothers and sisters have children ?" He is thus en- 

 couraged in doing, on the slightest pretext, that of which 

 the heathen rarely approve, except to save themselves 

 from starvation. At the same time the Wamrima, hold- 

 ing the unchastity of woman as a tenet of belief, con- 

 sider the sister's son — the "surer side" — the heir, in 

 preference to the son. They have many superstitions, 

 and before all undertakings they consult a pagan Mganga 

 or medicine- man. If the K'hunguru or crow caws from 

 the house-top, a guest is coming ; if a certain black bird 

 cries " chee ! chee ! " in front of a caravan, the porters 

 will turn back, saying that there is blood on the road, 

 and they will remain four or five days till the " chika ! 

 chika ! " of the partridge beats the " General." An even 

 number of wayfarers met in early morning is a good 

 omen, but an odd number, or the bark of the Mbweha — 

 the fox — before the march, portends misfortune. Strong 

 minds of course take advantage of these and a thousand 

 other follies of belief, and when there is not, as in civi- 

 lised countries, a counteracting influence of scepticism, 

 the mental organisation of the people becomes a mass of 

 superstitious absurdities. 



The chief industry of the Mrima, namely the plun- 

 dering of caravans, has already been alluded to ; it will 

 here be described with somewhat more of detail. The 

 industrious and commercial nations near Kilwa and the 

 southern regions delay but a few days on the coast ; the 

 Wanyamwezi, on the line now to be described, will linger 

 there from three to six months, enjoying the dear de- 

 lights of comparative civilisation. Many old campaign- 

 ers have so far overcome their barbarous horror of water 

 travelling, which has been increased by tales of shipwreck 

 and drowning, as to take boat and carry their ivory to 



