348 



THE LAKE KEGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



After the preliminary halt, the caravan, forming into 

 the order of march, winds, like a monstrous land-serpent, 

 over hill, dale, and plain. The Kirangozi is followed 

 by an Indian file, those nearest to him, the grandees 

 of the gang, are heavily laden with ivories : when the 

 weight of the tusk is inordinate, it is tied to a pole and 

 is carried palanquin-fashion by two men. A large cow- 

 bell, whose music rarely ceases on the march, is attached 

 to the point which is to the fore ; to the bamboo behind 

 is lashed the porter's private baggage, — his earthen 

 cooking-pot, his water-gourd, his sleeping-mat, and his 

 other necessaries. The ivory-carriers are succeeded by 

 the bearers of cloth and beads, each man, poising upon 

 either shoulder, and sometimes raising upon the head 

 for rest, packs that resemble huge bolsters, six feet long 

 by two in diameter, cradled in sticks, which gener- 

 ally have a forked projection for facility of stacking and 

 reshouldering the load. The sturdiest fellows are 

 usually the lightest loaded : in Eastern Africa, as else- 

 where, the weakest go to the wall. The maximum of 

 burden may be two farasilah, or seventy pounds, avoir- 

 dupois. Behind the cloth bearers straggles a long line 

 of porters and slaves, laden with the lighter stuff, 

 rhinoceros-teeth, hides, salt-cones, tobacco, brass wire, 

 iron hoes, boxes and bags, beds and tents, pots and 

 water-gourds, mats and private stores. With the Pa- 

 gazi, but in separate parties, march the armed slaves, 

 who are never seen to quit their muskets, the women, 

 and the little toddling children, who rarely fail to carry 

 something, be it only of a pound weight, and the asses 

 neatly laden with saddle-bags of giraffe or buffalo-hide. 

 A " Mganga " almost universally accompanies the cara- 

 van, not disdaining to act as a common porter. The 

 " parson " not only claims, in virtue of his sacred calling, 



