washed the foot of these hills, but had since shrunk away
from its original margin.
On arrival at Ngambezi, I was immensely struck with
the neatness and good arrangement of the place, as well
as its excessive beauty and richness. No part of Bengal
or Zanzibar could excel it in either respect; and
my men, with one voice, exclaimed, “Ah, Avhat people
these Waganda are!” and passed other remarks, which
may be abridged as follows:—“ They build their huts and
keep their gardens just as well as we dcr at Ungtija, with
screens and enclosures for privacy, a clearance in front of
their establishments, and a baraza or reception-hut facing
the buildings. Then, too, what a beautiful prospect it
has !—rich marshy plains studded with mounds, on each
of which grow the umbrella cactus, or some other evergreen
tree; and beyond, again, another liill-spur such as
the one we have crossed over.” One of king Mtesa’s
uncles, who had not been burnt to death by the order of
the late king Sunna on his ascension to the throne, was
the proprietor of this place, but unfortunately he was
from home. However, his substitute gave me his baraza
to live in, and brought many presents of goats, fowls,
sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, sugar-cane, and Indian
corn, and apologised in the end for deficiency in hospitality.
I, of course, gave him beads in return.
Continuing over the same kind of ground in the next
To Semizabi, succeeding spurs of the. streaky red-clay sandstone
hills, we put up at the residence of
Isamgevi, a Mkungu or district officer of Rumanika’s.
His residence was as well kept as Mtesa’s uncle’s; but
instead of a baraza fronting his house, he had a small
enclosure, with three small huts in it, kept apart for devotional
purposes, or to propitiate the evil spirits—in short,
according to the notions of the place, a church. This
officer gave me a cow and some plantains, and I in return
gave him a wire and some beads. Many mendicant