BALOCH KXAVERY. 



65 



Duthumi, upon which the eye, long weary of low levels, 

 rested with a sensation of satisfaction. 



It was found necessary to halt a day at Muhony era : 

 according to some authorities no provisions were procu- 

 rable for a week ; others declared that there were villages 

 on the road, but were uncertain whether rations could 

 be purchased. Said bin Salim sent Ambari, a favourite 

 slave, back to buy grain at Muhogwe, whence he had hur- 

 ried us on in fear of the Wazaramo ; and the youth, after 

 wasting a day, returned on the evening of the 2nd July 

 with about sixty lbs., — a poor supply for eighty-eight 

 hungry bodies. This proceeding naturally affronted the 

 Baloch, who desired for themselves the perquisites pro- 

 ceeding from the purchases. Two of their number, 

 Yusuf and Salih Mohammed, came to swear officially 

 on the part of their men that there was not an ounce of 

 grain in camp. Appearing credulous, I paid them a 

 visit about half an hour afterwards ; all their shuffling 

 and sitting upon the bags could not conceal a store of 

 about 100 lbs. of fine white rice, whose quality, — the 

 Baloch had been rationed at liaole with an inferior kind, 

 ■ — showed whence it came. 



After repairing the " boma," or fenced kraal, — it had 

 been burnt down, as often happens, by the last caravan of 

 Wanyamwezi, — I left my companion, who was prostrate 

 with fever, and went out, gun in hand, to inspect the 

 country, and to procure meat, that necessary having 

 fallen short. The good P'hazi, Tumba Ihere, accom- 

 panied me, and after return he received an ample 

 present for his services, and departed. The Baloch em- 

 ployed themselves in cleaning their rusty matchlock- 

 barrels with a bit of kopra, — dried cocoa-nut meat, — in 

 weaving for themselves sandals, like the spar telle of the 



VOL. I. F 



