42 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



expressed its numbers, which amounted to nearly a 

 hundred, about one-third of the venerable Jemadar's 

 command, was marching forth to bid us farewell, in 

 token of respect, at Mgude or Kuingani, " the cocoa- 

 plantation near the sea." It is a little settlement, dis- 

 tant an hour and a half's walk from Kaole : hither my 

 companion had preceded me, and hence we were to 

 make our second departure. Accompanied by Said bin 

 Salim, Valentine my Goanese servant, three Baloch, 

 and two slaves, I followed in the wake of the main 

 body, bringing up the rear of the baggage on three 

 Unyamwezi asses bought that morning at the custom- 

 house. The animals had been laden with difficulty: 

 their kicking and plunging, rearing and pawing, had 

 prevented the nice adjustment of their packs, and the 

 wretched pads, which want of time had compelled me 

 to take, instead of panels or pack-saddles, loosely girthed 

 with rotten coir rope, could not support a heap of 

 luggage weighing at least 200 lbs. per load. On the road 

 they rushed against one another; they bolted, they 

 shied, and they threw their impediments with such 

 persistence, that my servant could not help exclaiming, 

 " Unka nam gadha" — " Their name is jackass." At last, 

 as the sun neared the salt sea, one of these half-wild 

 brutes suddenly sank, girth-deep, in a patch of boggy 

 mire, and the three Baloch, my companions, at once 

 ran away, leaving us to extricate it as best we could. 

 This little event had a peculiar significancy to one 

 about to command a party composed principally of 

 asses and Baloch. 



The excitement of finding myself on new ground, 

 and the peculiarities of the scenery, somewhat diverted 

 melancholy forebodings. Issuing from the little palisade 

 of Kaole, the path winds in a south-westerly direction 



