156 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



12 needles (sailor's) and palms; 2 pair scissors; 2 razors; 

 1 hone ; 2 pipes ; 1 tobacco pouch ; 1 cigar case ; 7 

 canisters of snuff ; 1 filter ; 1 pocket filter ; 1 looking- 

 glass ; 1 small tin dressing-case, with soap, nail-brush 

 and tooth-brush (very useful); brushes and combs; 

 1 union jack; arsenical paste for specimens; 10 steels 

 and flints. 



Life at Zungomero I have said was the acme of dis- 

 comfort. The weather was, as usual at the base of the 

 mountains, execrable ; pelting showers descended in a 

 succession, interrupted only by an occasional burst of fiery 

 sunshine which extracted steam from the thick covert 

 of grass, bush, and tree. The party dispersing through- 

 out the surrounding villages, in which it was said about 

 1000 travellers were delayed by the inundations, drank 

 beer, smoked bhang, quarrelled amongst themselves, and 

 by their insolence and violence caused continual com- 

 plaints on the part of the villagers. Both the Goanese 

 being prostrated with mild modifications of " yellow 

 jack," I was obliged to admit them into the hut, -which 

 was already sufficiently populated with pigeons, rats, and 

 flies by day, and with mosquitos, bugs, and fleas, by 

 night. At length weary of waiting the arrival of the 

 twenty-two promised porters, we prepared, our papers, 

 which I committed to the confidential slave of a coast 

 Diwan, here dwelling as caravan-touter, for his uncle 

 Ukwere of Kaole. His name was somewhat peculiar, 

 Chomwi la Mtu Mku Wambele, or the " Headman Great 

 Man of Precedence;" — these little Jugurthas have all 

 the titles of emperors, with the actual power of country 

 squires ; — he never allowed himself to appear in public 

 sober, and to judge from the list of stations with which 

 he obliged me— of eighteen not one was correct — I hesi- 



