294 
THE PRODUCTS OF UNYORO. 
grew in that out -of- the -world corner — and most of 
the habitations seen by us were temporary. Their 
floors were never swept, but bedded with grass, which, 
when it became soiled, was left there to rot like a 
dunghill, andifresh grass laid over it : vermin of every 
description swarmed. 
The cultivation is carried on chiefly by women, 
who cut up the stiff soil with an iron hoe, and plant 
the various crops. We missed the shady plantain- 
groves of that garden of African neatness — Uganda. 
No fruit of any description is grown near the palace. 
Coffee is brought from Uddoo. The vegetables are 
pumpkin, sweet potato, and the grains sorghum, sessa- 
mum, ooleyzee, and the other ordinary varieties. The 
bread and porridge made from these grains are 
miserable ; and butter being scarce, and no plantain 
to moisten the flour, we had very poor fare. The 
cowries were the chief coin of the country; two hun- 
dred of them bought a small bag of flour ; and in sell- 
ing the meat of a sick cow to enable us to buy fowls 
(for thirteen cowries each), we obtained ten foondo, 
or one thousand cowries. The natives were sometimes 
induced to sell butter by our making up necklaces 
with alternate-coloured beads. A string of these five 
times round the neck purchased three-quarters of a 
pound of butter, which was brought neatly tied in the 
broad fresh green leaves of the sorghum. We had 
fallen upon the man who procured this treat for us in 
a simple manner. Seeing him pass, his body glisten- 
ing with grease, we accosted him, and gave him the 
commission which he executed so well. Our men 
killed a cow as food for themselves and us every third 
or fourth day. The natives, on hearing that meat 
