3 2 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
of still fettered slaves is an Arab prisoner, his hands tied behind his back, 
kneeling or reclining with his ankles also fastened. There is a slight wound on 
his forehead; his face bears the expression of a caged wolf, his pale yellow skin 
is livid with pain, fear, and hatred. He has lost his round, white cap or fez, 
or turban, and his bald head looks mean and out of keeping with his careful 
clothes, which though soiled in warfare are still neat and presentable. Round 
his neck in a dirty cloth bag hangs a copy of the Koran. 
From such a scene as this I walked away once over the battlefield. The 
fight was ended, but we were only just starting to look for the wounded. It was 
early afternoon; a lovely day, bright sunshine, pale blue sky. A cool breeze 
had blown away the smoke; apart from the scene of the chief struggle in the 
captured town there was no indication that war was being waged. In a secluded 
part of the precincts amid the scattered vegetation of the village outskirts 
I suddenly came across the body of a fine-looking Angoni, not many minutes 
dead. He might have been fighting on our side; he might have been hired by 
the Arabs as one of their raiders, but someone had killed him with a bullet 
through the head and he had fallen in his tracks, in all his panoply of war, 
scarcely conscious of the object for which he fought. His right hand still 
grasped the stabbing spear, his left still held the ox-hide shield. His throw¬ 
ing spears had flown from his hand and were scattered on the ground. 
Grimmest sight of all — four vultures had already arrived on the scene to 
examine him. Two birds promenaded up and down with a watchful eye, 
ready on noting any sign of returning consciousness to take their departure; 
another bird, somewhat bolder, stood on one leg and inspected him as might 
a thoughtful surgeon; and the fourth whirled in circles on out-spread pinions 
round the body, wishing to settle but frightened, in case after all it was a swoon 
and not a death. 
NIAMKOLO : SOUTH END OF TANGANYIKA 
