6th to 10iA.—I saw this land-pirate Mahamed take a
blackmail like a negro chief. Some men who bad fled
from their village when Mahamed’s plnndering party
passed by them the other day, surprised that he did not
stop to sack their homes, now brought ten large tusks of
ivory to him to express the gratitude they said they felt for
his not having molested them. Mahamed, on f in d in g how
easy it was to get taxes in this fashion, instead of thanking
them, assumed the air of the great potentate, whose
clemency was abused, and told the poor creatures that,
though they had done well in seeking his friendship,
they had not sufficiently considered his dignity, else they
would have brought double that number of tusks, for it
was impossible he could be satisfied at so low a price.
“What,” said these poor creatures, “ can we do then?
for this is all that we have got.” “ Oh,” says Mahamed,
“ if it is all you have got now in store, I will take these
few for the present; but when I return from Gondokoro,
I expect you will bring me just as many more. Good-bye,
and look out for yourselves.”
Tired beyond all measure with Mahamed’s procrastina-
To Pan oro i m ^ o n ’ as ^ cou^ n°t get him to start, I now
started myself, much to his disgust, and went
ahead again, leaving word that I would wait for him at
the next place, provided he did not delay more than one
day. The march led us over long rolling downs of grass,
where we saw a good many antelopes feeding; and after
going ten miles, we came, among other villages, to one
named Panyoro, in which we found it convenient to put up.
At first all the villagers, thinking us Turks, bolted away
with their cattle and what stores they could carry; but,
after finding out who we were, they returned again, and
gave us a good reception, helping us to rig up a shed with
grass, and bringing a cow and some milk for our dinner.
12th.—To-day I went out shooting, but though I saw
and fired at a rhinoceros, as well as many varieties of