254 
THE KILIMA-NJARO EXPEDITION. 
hearing the request I had first thought to dissuade her 
by explaining what a tedious process it would be to 
unlace and take off my long shooting-boots, but, seeing 
she was seriously disappointed, I consented so far as 
to pull up my knee-breeches and disclose the upper 
part of my shin. Loud were the cries from the many 
lookers-on, and deep the admiration of the Sultan’s 
mother at the sight of flesh so white. “ It looks like 
cloth which has been washed with soap from the 
coast,” she said, and then added, with considerable 
acumen, “ I know why his skin is so pale ; he always 
keeps it covered. We show everything to the sun,” 
which was strictly true, for not only the queen-mother, 
but most of the ladies of this African court were really 
as devoid of apparel as could well be, the only attempt 
at a covering being collars of beads and iron bracelets. 
After this we went in a long procession to the Sultan’s 
residence, the owner being temporarily absent. Here 
there was much more constructive art displayed than 
at Mosi. First a solid wall or enceinte of stones; then 
the divisions of the minor spaces formed by neat— 
extremely neat—hedges of well-trimmed draccena, and, 
lastly, stout fences of large planks, constructed to 
divide and shut off the various compartments of the 
Sultan’s rather alfresco residence. These planks had 
not been sawn, but simply split first and then planed 
by gentle chopping with a small axe until the thick¬ 
ness was about equal. The boards were fastened to¬ 
gether by holes drilled in the side and stout bands of 
leather cord passed through and through. 
I extracted the following information from the queen- 
mother as to the hereditary laws in this part of Caga. 
It is not the eldest son who succeeds his father as 
the ruling chief, nor the youngest, but usually the 
