the Tillage chiefs were so civil, that we could do as we
To Second Urigi, lihed. After following down the left side of
the valley and entering the village, the customary
presents and returns were made. Wishing then
to obtain a better view of the country, I strolled over
the nearest hills, and found the less exposed slopes well
covered with trees. Small antelopes occasionally sprang
up from the grass. I shot a florikan for the pot; and as
I had never before seen white rhinoceros, killed one now;
though, as no one would eat him, I felt sorry rather than
otherwise for what I had done. When I returned in the
evening, small boys brought me sparrows for sale; and
then I remembered the stories I had heard from Musa
Mzüri that in the whole of Karagué these small birds
were so numerous, the people, to save themselves from
starvation, were obliged to grow a bitter com which
the birds disliked; and so I found it. At night, whilst
observing for latitude, I was struck by surprise to see a
long noisy procession pass by where I sat, led by some
men who earned on their shoulders a woman covered up
in a blackened skin. On inquiry, however, I heard she was
being taken to the hut of her espoused, where, “ bundling
fashion,” she would be put in bed; but it was only with
virgins they took so much trouble.
A strange but characteristic story now reached my
ears. Masüdi, the merchant who took up Insangéz, had
been trying his best to deter Rümanika from allowing
us to enter his country, by saying we were addicted to
sorcery; and had it not been for Insangéz’s remonstrances,
who said we were sent up by Müsa, our fate would have
been doubtful. Rümanika, it appeared, as I always had
heard, considered old Müsa his saviour, for having eight
years before quelled a rebellion, when his younger brother,
Rogéro, aspired to the throne; whilst Müsa’s honour and
honesty were quite unimpeachable. But more of this
hereafter.
Khonz<i, the next place, lying in the bending concave
i j g ; IM of this swamp lake, and facing Hangiro, was
commanded by a fine elderly man called
Miiz^gi, who was chief officer during Dagara’^ time. He
told me with the greatest possible gravity, that he remembered
well the time when a boat could have gone
from this to Yigfira; as also when fish and crocodiles
came up from the Kitanguffi; but the old king no sooner
died than the waters dried u p ; which showed as plainly
as words could tell, that the king had designed it, to
make men remember him with sorrow in all future ages.
Our presents after this having been exchanged, the good
old man, at my desire, explained the position of all the
surrounding countries, in his own peculiar manner, by
laying a long stick on the ground pointing due north and
south, to which he attached shorter ones pointing to the
centre of each distant country. He thus assisted me in
the protractions of the map, to the countries which lie
east and west of the route.
Shortly after starting this morning, we were summoned
To camp Kiw&a, by the last officer on the Urigi to take
2ia<. breakfast with him, as he could not allow us
to pass by without paying his respects to the king’s guests.
He was a man of most affable manners, and loth we
should part company without one night’s entertainment
at least; but as it was a matter of necessity, he gave us
provisions to eat on the way, adding, at the same time, he
was sorry he could not give more, as a famine was then
oppressing the land. We parted with reiterated compliments
on both sides; and shortly after, diving into the
old bed of the Urigi, were constantly amused with the
variety of game which met our view. On several occasions
the rhinoceros were so numerous and impudent as to contest
the right of the road with us, and the greatest sport
was occasioned by our bold Wanguana going at them in
parties of threes and fours, when; taking good care of them