140 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



to his comrades with his normal grievance, and in due 

 time he felt aggrieved by my companion. 



A proper regard to precedence induces me now to 

 marshal the " sons of Ramji," who acted as interpreters, 

 guides, and war-men. They were armed with the old 

 " Tower-musket," which, loaded with nearly an ounce 

 of powder, they never allowed to quit the hand ; and 

 with those antiquated German- cavalry sabres which 

 find their way over all the East : their accoutrements 

 were small leathern boxes, strapped to the waist, 

 and huge cow-horns, for ammunition. The most part 

 called themselves Muinyi (master), the title of an African 

 freeman, because they had been received in pawn by the 

 Banyan Ramji from their parents or uncles, who had 

 forgotten to redeem the pledge, and they still claimed the 

 honour of noble birth. Of these there were eight men 

 under their Mtu Mku, or chief man, Kidogo — Anglice, 

 Mr. Little. Kidogo had preceded the Expedition, es- 

 corting the detachment of thirty-six Wanyamwezi 

 porters to Zungomero, and he possessed great influence 

 over his brother slaves, who all seemed to admire and 

 to be proud of him. He w r as by no means a common 

 man. " Natione magis quam ratione barbarus;" he had 

 a fixed and obstinate determination : amongst these 

 puerile, futile African souls he w r as exceptional as " a 

 sage Sciote or a green horse." His point of honour 

 consisted in the resolve that his words should be held 

 as Median laws, and he had, as the Africans say, a 

 " large head," namely, abundant self-esteem, that 

 blessed quality which makes man independent of his 

 fellows. Muinyi Kidogo is a short, thin, coal-black 

 person, with a something arguing gentle blood in his 

 tribe, the Wadoe Cannibals ; he has a peaked beard, a 

 bulging brow, close thin lips, a peculiar wall-eyed 



