97 
laid waste, and the whole country exhibits the 
most desolate and distressing appearance. They 
seldom meet with much cattle, as it mostly happens 
that the enemy has some notice of the intended 
attack, and take the precaution of conveying them, 
with their wives and children, to a place of conceal¬ 
ment and safety. 
Sometimes they make a sudden attack on a town 
by night, and surprise the enemy when least expected. 
In these cases, each man takes a piece of flesh in 
his hand, and getting into the place in the dead of 
night, throws the meat to the dogs to prevent their 
barking. As soon as the whole party are within the 
enclosure, a musket is fired; but in other respects 
the most profound silence is observed: this alarms 
the inhabitants, who, rising instantly, are stabbed or 
taken prisoners as they come out of their dwellings : 
the women and children are spared as usual, the 
cattle driven off, and the victorious party return home 
in as private a manner as possible. 
Their foreign wars consist of descents upon the 
neighbouring islands, or on the coast of Mosambique 
and Delagoa. These are generally undertaken when 
they are at peace amongst themselves, and in such 
cases they raise a formidable army. The Comoro 
islands have, it appears, been the theatre of these 
operations for nearly forty years past, as we have 
before hinted; and on these occasions, the most 
systematic arrangement is observed. A number of 
the leading chiefs take the command, and the usual 
H 
