42 
THE WANYAMUEZI. 
lie had demanded, said the cloths were not suitable to 
his rank — " you have better ones than you gave me, 
and my head wife must get some." In short, he so 
bullied us by threats of attack that our main stand-by 
of porters, 113 "Wezees," were frightened into the 
dastardly act of deserting us at the most critical part 
of the journey. 
IY. Wanyamuezi. — The 115 porters we left the sea- 
port with were of the class of the Wanyamuezi, and 
we had good opportunity for observing their habits 
and character. They were average-sized, slim-limbed 
negroes, many of them with handsome countenances 
and incisions of caste above the cheek-bones ; they 
were dressed in goat-skins hanging loosely in their front 
from the right shoulder ; most of them with a shabby 
small bow and a couple of arrows; a few of the better 
sort had flint-guns, which they carried awkwardly at 
the long "trail," and pointing to the men behind them. 
They are frank and amiable on first acquaintance, 
eating or taking anything from your hand, singing 
the j oiliest of songs with deep-toned choruses from 
their thick necks and throats, but soon trying to get 
the upper hand, refusing to make the ring-fence 
round camp, showing sulks, making halts, or going 
short marches, treating with perfect contempt any 
message sent them even to sit apart from your tent, 
as the smoke of their fires, the odour of their persons, 
and their total want of delicacy annoy you. All 
these grievances my companion bore with great 
patience, and often got the offenders into humour by 
suggesting a harangue at night, to be delivered by 
their captain. On an animal being cut up into shares 
one day, they so far forgot themselves as to dash 
