250 Wanderings m Eastern Africa. 
very poor and thin. They; were not afraid of us, as 
Kisuahili and Kinika children are, but looked at us 
gravely and steadily, in a few minutes gathering 
sufficient courage to beg of us some tobacco to chew. 
All the Gallas, young and old of both sexes, are 
passionately fond of tobacco. To us it was ex- 
ceedingly strange to see sickly, little girls chewing the 
pungent leaf that we knew would prove too much 
for many strong men. When satisfied for the time, the 
precious morsel is taken from the mouth, rolled into 
a pellet, and put behind the ear to dry for further use ! 
Children do this as gravely as their parents. Such is 
the force of habit. 
At the landing-place we halted while a man went . 
to Ganda and back to carry the chief information of 
our approach, and bring us permission to proceed. 
He was not gone long, which was something remark- 
able ; for once the Gallas had been content with a few 
words ! He brought back Aba Rufat with him, who 
said all was right, and that we might go on at once. 
Passing through a wood of thorn bushes, etc., we came 
in a few minutes in sight of some huts, leaving which 
we walked a short distance farther on, when, behold ! 
Ganda in all its glory rose directly before us. But 
stay, it must not be entered abruptly. We were led 
aside once more, and asked to wait a few minutes 
beneath the shade of a small tree. While waiting 
here feast your eyes upon the scene. Cloud-capped 
towers; gorgeous palaces;" — nothing of the kind! 
Three or four little bee-hive huts, half surrounded with 
a dry thorn-bush hedge, is all that belongs to the 
city we have been seeking at so much pains and 
trouble ! Yes, that is Ganda, the abode of Mara 
