assured me that it was only the enactment of a
common custom in the country when two strange
caravan-leaders meet, and each doubts who should
take the supremacy in choice of side. In two minutes
more the antagonists broke into broad laughter, and
each went his way.
The villages about here are numerous, and the
country, after passing the forest, is highly cultivated,
and affords plenty of provisions; but unfortunately as
yet the white heads which I have brought have no
value with the natives, and I cannot buy those little
luxuries, eggs, butter, and milk, which have such a
powerful Influence in making one’s victuals good and
palatable; whereas there is such a rage for coloured
beads, that if I had brought some I might purchase
anything.
12th.—The caravan started at 6.30 A.M., and after
travelling eight miles over an open, waving, well-
cultivated country, stopped at the last village in
Unyambewa. The early morning before starting was
wasted by the pagazis “ striking” for more cloth, and
refusing to move unless I complied with their demand.
I peremptorily refused, and they then tried to wheedle
me out of beads. In demanding cloth, they pretended
that they were suffering from the chilling cold of night
—a pretence too absurd to merit even a civil reply.
I then explained to my head men that I would rather
anything happened than listen to such imposture as
th is ; for did the men once succeed by tricks of this
sort, there would never be an end to their trying it on,
and it would ultimately prove highly injurious to
future travellers, especially to merchants. On the
route we had nothing to divert attention, save a
single Wasukuma caravan proceeding southwards to
Unyanyembd. A sultana called Ungugu governs this
district. She is the first and only female that we have
seen in this position, though she succeeded to it after
the custom of the country. I imagine she must have
had a worthless husband, since every sultan can have
as many wives as he pleases, and the whole could never
have been barren. I rallied the porters for pulling up
after so short a march, but could not induce them to
go on. They declared that forests of such vast extent
lay on ahead that it would be quite impossible to
cross them before the night set in. In the evening I
had a second cause for being vexed at this loss of time,
when every mile and hour was of so much importance;
for by our halt the sultana got news of my arrival, and
sent a messenger to request the pleasure of my company
at her house on the morrow. In vain I pleaded
for permission to go and see her that moment, or to do
so on my return from the N’yanza; her envoy replied
that the day was so far spent I could not arrive at
her abode till after dark, and she would not have the
pleasure of seeing me sufficiently well. He therefore
begged I would attend to the letter of her request, and
not fail to visit her in the m or n in g.
The lazy pagazis, smelling flesh, also aided the
deputy in his endeavours to detain me, by saying that
they could not oppose her majesty’s will, lest at any