362 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
Wakahe, Waarusha, and Wachaga, and these are all 
the peoples who are really within reach of them. They 
owe their tranquillity as much, perhaps, to their 
impenetrable forest as to their peaceable dispositions. 
The Masai, however, had broken through the forest a 
short time before, and had done some damage, but in 
the end they were compelled to retreat. 
As elsewhere, human beings are bought and sold in 
Taveta. It is not much to say, as in the case of Taita, 
that slaves in Taveta are almost as well off as their 
masters, inasmuch as slavery is slavery everywhere. 
During my stay in Taveta I was visited by hundreds 
of the natives, who came from all parts of their forest 
homes to see me. Such a sight was not to be had 
every day. Most of them had heard of the white 
man ; had heard the most wonderful stories regarding 
him ; had been put to sleep in their babyhood by 
horrible recitations regarding his character and doings ; 
of his home beyond the sea, at the bottom of the sea, 
or above the clouds ; of his floating houses and towns ; 
of his thundering guns ; his seizure of vessels laden 
with slaves ; his tyranny over such ; his greed for 
black men's flesh ; the making of gunpowder out of 
black men's brains; and a hundred other frightful 
things of which they supposed him to be guilty ; but, 
till now, none of them had ever looked upon the 
monster. Now the opportunity was aflbrded them 
to gaze and stare to their fill. 
I entertained my visitors in the best way I could, 
playing for them sometimes an accordion I had with 
me, showing them a few novelties, such as a magnet, 
a compass, a watch, and the like, and trying to engage 
them in conversation. In all I did my aim was ever 
