44 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



ago he defended Kaole against a host of Wazaramo, 

 numbering, it is said, 3,000 men, when, lacking balls, 

 he had loaded his honeycombed cannon and his rusty- 

 matchlocks with pointed sticks. The Europeans of 

 Zanzibar called him "Rush," — the murderer. His 

 fellow-countrymen declared him to be a " sharp prac- 

 tiser," who had made a reputation by spending other 

 people's money, and I personally had proofs which did 

 not allow me to doubt his " savoir faire." 



The nights at Kuingani were not pleasant. The air 

 was stifling, the mosquitoes buzzed without intermis- 

 sion, and I had neglected to lay in " essence of penny- 

 royal" against certain other plagues. On the second 

 evening, seeing by the hang-clog look of my Jemadar 

 that he was travailing in mind, I sent for a Mganga 

 or medicine-man, and having previously promised him 

 a Surat skull-cap for a good haul of prophecy, I collected 

 the Baloch to listen. The Mganga, a dark old man, of 

 superior rank, as the cloth round his head and his many 

 bead necklaces showed, presently reappeared with a 

 mat-bag containing the implements of his craft. After 

 taking his seat opposite to me he demanded his fee — 

 here, as elsewhere, to use the words with which Kleon 

 excited the bile of Tiresias, 



" To fiavriKov ydp itav <pi\dpyvpov yevog ; " 



—without which prediction would have been impos- 

 sible. When gratified he produced a little gourd 

 snuff-box and indulged himself with a solemn and 

 dignified pinch. He then drew forth a larger gourd 

 which contained the great medicine, upon which no 

 eye profane might gaze : the vessel, repeatedly shaken, 

 gave out a vulgar sound as if filled with pebbles and bits 

 of metal. Presently, placing the implement upon the 



