evolutions, mingled with our men, and invited us up tbe
bill, where we no sooner arrived than Cbongi, a very old
Group ol‘ G-ani M&a.
man, attended by bis familiar, advanced to receive ns—
one bolding a white ben, tbe otber a small gourd of
pombe and a little twig.
Chongi gave us all a friendly harangue by way of
greeting; and taking tbe fowl by one leg, swayed it to
and fro close to tbe ground in front of bis assembled
visitors. After this ceremony bad been also repeated by
the familiar, Cbongi then took tbe gourd and twig, and
sprinkled tbe contents all over u s ; retired to tbe Uganga,
or magic bouse—a very diminutive but—sprinkled pombe
over it; and, finally, spreading a cow-skin under a tree,
bade us sit, and gave us a jorum of pombe, making many
apologies that be could not show us more hospitality, as
famine bad reduced bis stores. What politeness in tbe
midst of such barbarism!!! Nowhere bad we seen suck
naked creatures, whose sole dress consisted of bead, iron,
or brass ornaments, with some feathers or cowrie-beads on
the bead. Even tbe women contented themselves with a
few fibres bung like tails before and behind. Some of
our men who bad seen tbe Wattita in Utambara, declared
these savages to resemble them in every particular, save
one small specialty in their costume, alluded to in tbe
description of tbe Ziilu Kafirs’ dress. Tbe hair of the
men was dressed in tbe same fantastic fashion, and
the women placed half-gourds over the baby as it rode
on its mother’s back. They also, like tbe Kidi people,
whom they much fear, carry diminutive stools to sit upon
wherever they go.
Their habitat extends from this to tbe Asua river,
whilst tbe Madi occupy all tbe country west of this
meridian to tbe Nile, which is far beyond sight. Tbe
villages are composed of little conical huts of grass, on
a framework of bamboo raised above low mud walls.
There are no sultans here of any consequence, each village
appointing its own chief. Tbe granitic hills, like those of
Unyamubzi, are extremely pretty, and clad with trees,
contrasting strangely with the grassy downs of indefinite
extent around, which give tbe place, when compared with
tbe people, tbe appearance of a paradise within tbe infernal
regions. From tbe site of Koki we saw tbe bills behind
which, according to Bombay, Petherick was situated with
his vessels; and we also saw a nearer bill, behind which
bis advanced post of elepbant-bunters were waiting our
arrival.
I tried to ascertain if there were any prefixes, as in
tbe South African dialects, by which one might determine
tbe difference between tbe people and tbe country;
but I was assured that both here and in tbe adjacent
countries these people say Chopi, Kidi, Gani, Madi,
Bari, alike for person and place, though Jo in their
language is tbe equivalent for Wa in South Africa, and
Dano takes tbe place of Mtti. All tbe words and sys