46 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



collected all the scamps of the camp with a loud scraping. 

 Hulluk, the buffoon, acted dancing-girl to perfection. 

 After the normal pantomime, somewhat broadly ex- 

 pressed, he did a little work in his own character ; 

 standing on his head with a peculiar tremulousness 

 from the hips upwards, dislocating his person in a sit- 

 ting position, imitating the cry of a dog, cat, ape, 

 camel, and slave-girl, and finally reproducing me 

 with peculiar impudence before my face. I gave him 

 a dollar, when, true to his strain, he at once begged 

 another. 



All accounts and receipts being finally duly settled 

 with the Hindus, the last batch of three donkeys having 

 arrived, and the baggage having been laden with great 

 difficulty, I shook hands with old Mohammed and the 

 other dignitaries, and mounting my ass, gave orders for 

 immediate departure from Kuingani. This was not 

 effected without difficulty : every one and everything, 

 guide and escort, asses and slaves, seemed to join in rais- 

 ing up fresh obstacles. Four p.m. sped before we turned 

 out of the little settlement. Among other unpleasant 

 occurrences, Rahmat, a Baloch knave, who had formed 

 one of my escort to Fuga, levelled his long barrel, with 

 loud "Mimi na piga" (I am shooting him), when his 

 company was objected to. His Jemadar, Yaruk, seized 

 the old shooting-iron, which was probably unloaded, 

 and Rahmat, with sotto-voce snarls and growls, slunk 

 back to his kennel. A turbaned Negroid, who ap- 

 peared on the path, was asked to point out the way, 

 and, on his refusal, my bull-headed slave Mabruki 

 struck him on the face, when, to the consternation 

 of all parties, he declared himself a Diwan. The blow, 

 according to the Jemadar, would infallibly lead to 

 bloodshed. 



