INQUISITIVENESS OF THE PEOPLE. 41 
hanks of bark fibre, flew in trie air as they ran ; beads 
were at times strung on, or an ostrich-feather waved 
about their heads ; their ear-lobes were distended by 
a plug of wood, &c. Their arms were flve-feet-long 
spears, knobsticks, and oblong shields of leather ; dress 
generally a small loin-cloth. With a gourd cup they 
drew water from their wells and filled it into earthen 
"gurahs," similar to those in India. Women carried 
their children on their backs in a skin, with cross 
supporting-straps ; and boys brought music out of a 
stringed bow attached to a gourd as sounding-board. 
We were so mobbed by the people in camp that a ring 
of rope had to be placed round our tents ; but this 
only increased their inquisitiveness. When told to go 
away, and not keep peeping under the canvass of our 
closed-up tents, they laughed, telling us the ground 
we pitched upon was theirs, and that they could take 
our guns and property from us if they chose. A 
porter of ours accidentally broke one of their bows ; 
this was immediately turned to account, and a demand 
made for something ten times its value. I shot a liz- 
ard at some curiously outcropping rocks, and was told 
I had hurt their feelings, and must pay for my folly. 
Previously to firing I had thought of the Indian super- 
stition as to sacred spots and marks, and examined the 
place well ; but seeing no trace of them, I reckoned 
this fine had no connection with any such traditions, 
but was knowingly imposed on us in the way of ex- 
tortion, They told us we must not have lights out at 
night — alluding to Speke making his observations. 
Like all Africans, if they gave us any information a 
present had to follow. The settlement of the tax was a 
most harassing affair. The sultan, after receiving all 
