STRANGER VISITORS. 
135 
October I860, advising the despatch of brandy, biscuit, 
and cigars, &c. ; and that our letters were in another 
packet. We, of course, were delighted at receiving this 
news — a whole year had elapsed without any commu- 
nication whatever from the outer world ; but where 
were the letters and supplies ? " Oh, they must have 
been lost in Ugogo, where the Arabs had gone to 
fight ! " Whatever was the cause, our letters were cut 
off from us for the period of twenty-seven months — 
viz., from October 1860 to February 1863, when we 
got to Oondokoro. We had consequently to content 
ourselves with the news of the countries around us. 
Stories from men who had seen snow on the top of 
Kilimanjaro; with accounts of a tribe to the south of it 
who rode on horseback, and a salt lake called Lebassa 
in that direction ; or the appearance of a M'ganda, tall, 
stout, broad-nostrilled, seen for the first time, gave me 
a longing desire, from his manly and true African look, 
to reach his country. The dress of this people was 
formed of gaily-coloured goat-skins and bark cloths, 
well arranged, striking, and becoming; their accoutre- 
ments and drums were got up with neatness and sim- 
plicity ; their drapery perfectly concealed the whole 
body, except the head, feet, and hands ; and once a 
strapping girl, of a tribe still farther off, was shown to 
us as an Unyoro. Having since then seen her race, 
known by the extraction of the lower incisors, I can 
state that we were not imposed upon. 
In the next chapter will be described the country 
of Karague, which reminded me of the English Lake 
district. An Arab caravan, like our own, but of 250 
loads, had got ahead of us, and having settled their 
tax with the Usui chief, the men were plodding on to 
