364 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



moreover the porters in question were marching only 

 for a single day ; but as no instruments were used, the 

 average may fairly be suspected of exaggeration. Finally 

 Mr. Galton's observation concerning Cape travelling 

 applies equally well to this part of Africa, namely, that 

 10 statute or 6 rectilinear geographical miles per diem 

 is a fair average of progress, and that he does well who 

 conducts the same caravan 1,000 geographical miles 

 across a wild country in six months. 



I will conclude this chapter with a succinct account 

 of the inn, that is to say the village in East Africa. 



The habitations of races form a curious study and no 

 valueless guide to the nature of the climate and the 

 physical conditions to which men are subject. 



Upon the East African coast the villages, as has been 

 mentioned, are composed of large tenements, oblongs or 

 squares of wattle and dab, with eaves projecting to form 

 a deep verandah and a thatched pent-roof, approaching 

 in magnitude that of Madagascar. 



Beyond the line of maritime land the " Nyumba" or 

 dwelling-house assumes the normal African form, the 

 circular hut described by every traveller in the interior: 

 Dr. Livingstone appears to judge rightly that its cir- 

 cularity is the result of a barbarous deficiency in in- 

 ventiveness. It has, however, several varieties. The 

 simplest is a loose thatch thrown upon a cone of sticks 

 based upon the ground, and lashed together at the 

 apex : it ignores windows, and the door is a low hole 

 in the side. A superior kind is made after the manner 

 of our ancient bee-hives; it is cup-shaped with bulging 

 sides, and covered with neat thatch, cut in circles 

 which overlap one another tile-fashion: at a distance 

 it resembles an inverted bird's nest. The common 

 shape is a cylindrical framework of tall staves, or the 



