354 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



tents in the clear central spaces, surrounded by the round 

 huts of the peasantry, under whose low and drooping 

 eaves the pagazi find shelter. In the western regions, 

 where the Tembe or square village prevails, kraals form 

 the nighting-place. In Ugogo strangers rarely enter the 

 hamlets, the hovels being foul, and the people dangerous. 

 Throughout Eastern and Central Unyamwezi caravans 

 defile into the villages without hesitation. Some parties 

 take possession of the Iwanza or public-house ; others 

 build for themselves tabernacles of leafy boughs, which 

 they are expected to clear away before departure, and 

 the headman provides lodgings for the Mtongi. In 

 Western Unyamwezi the doors are often closed against 

 strangers, and in Eastern Uvinza the people will admit 

 travellers to bivouac, but they will not vacate their 

 huts. In Western Uvinza, a desert like Marenga and 

 Mgunda Mk'hali, substantial khambi occur at short 

 intervals. At Ujiji, the Sultan, after offering the pre- 

 liminary magubiko or presents, provides his guests with 

 lodgings, which, after a time sufficient for enabling 

 them to build huts, they must vacate in favour of 

 new comers. In the other Lake Regions the reception 

 depends mainly upon the number of muskets in a 

 caravan, and the character of the headman and his 

 people. 



The khambi or kraal everywhere varies in shape and 

 material. In the eastern regions, where trees are scarce, 

 wattle frames of rough sticks, compacted with bark- 

 fibre, are disposed in a circle ; the forked uprights, made 

 higher behind and lower in front, to form a sloping 

 roof, support horizontal or cross poles, which are over- 

 laid with a rough thatch of grass or grain-cane. The 

 central space upon which the boothies open is occupied 

 by one or more huts for the chiefs of the party ; and 



