272 MORNING DEWS — MESSAGE FROM m'tESSA. 
promoted by this means, as the natives have no objec- 
tion to make brotherhood with Europeans. 
We had not much rain during the last week of 
August. After a shower one morning, upon the space 
cleared in front of our hut appeared hundreds of 
white maggots with black heads, curling themselves 
into an arc, jumping and throwing themselves over 
the ground as if set upon springs. The morning dews, 
as we marched in Indian file through grasses higher 
than and thick as a field of wheat, made everything 
uncomfortably damp. The Wanyoro, fearful of get- 
ting wet, or having their rags of skins and bark-cloths 
injured, carried in front of them an immense broom 
made of plantain-leaves to brush the dew off the grass, 
which they considered injurious to health, causing the 
itch. At first we could not understand why unclad 
natives should carry about these besoms, and the 
sight of so many of them by the side of the path 
perplexed us. 
M'tessa had sent a large party to inquire how 
we were getting on. Imagining this was all they 
wanted, we thought they might disperse ; but their 
leader produced four little pieces of wood, saying with 
emphasis, one was for a double-barrelled gun that 
would last the king his lifetime ; a second was for 
gun- wads ; a third for strengthening medicine ; and a 
fourth for anything the " Bana" (meaning Speke) liked 
to send. We returned our kindest regards to their 
king, and told them that all they asked, and even 
more, would be sent from Ugani should an opportunity 
ever offer. 
A touching incident occurred here. A woman of 
the village recognised amongst our Seedees her brother, 
