and on the second day forded the Gombfi nullah again—
in its upper course called K&ale.
Rising again up to the main level of the plantation, we
ToUngogii’s walked into the boma of the chief of Uny-
Paiace, 22d. ambewa, Singinya, whose wife was my old
friend the late sultana Ungugu’s lady’s-maid. Immediately
on our entering her palace, she came forward to
meet me with the most affable air of a princess, begged
I would always come to her as I did then, and sought to
make every one happy and comfortable. Her old mistress,
she said, died well stricken in years; and, as she had succeeded
her, the people of her country invited Singinya to
marry her, because feuds had arisen about the rights of
succession ; and it was better a prince, whom they thought
best suited by birth and good qualities, should head their
warriors, and keep all in order. At that moment Singinya
was out in the field fighting his enemies; and she was
sure, when he heard I was here, that he would be very
sorry he had missed seeing me.
We next went on to the district of Ukumbi, and put
up in a village there, on approaching which
To Useuda, 23d. _ - n i • all the villagers turned out to resist us, supposing
we were an old enemy of theirs. They flew about
brandishing their spears, and pulling their bows in the
most grotesque attitudes, alarming some of my porters so
much that they threw down their loads and bolted. All
the country is richly cultivated, though Indian corn at
that time was the only grain ripe. The square, flat-topped
tembes had now been left behind, and instead the villagers
lived in small collections of grass huts, surrounded
by palisades of tall poles.
Proceeding on we put up at the small settlement of
Usenda, the proprietor of which was a semi-negro Arab
merchant called Sangoro. He had a large collection of
women here, but had himself gone north with a view to
trade in Karague. Report, however, assured us that he
was then detained in Ustii by Stiwarora, its chief, on the
plea of requiring his force of musketeers to prevent the
Watiita from pillaging his country, for these Wattita
lived entirely on plunder of other people s cattle.
With one move, by alternately crossing strips of forest
and cultivation, studded here and there with
To Mimnga, m . Jnllg 0f granite, we forded the Quandt
nullah—a tributary to the Gombe—and entered the rich
flat district of Mininga, where the gingerbread-palm grows
abundantly. The greatest man we found here was a
broken-down ivory-merchant called Sirboko, who gave us
a good hut to live in. Next morning, I believe at the
suggestion of my Wan g u m u a, with Baraka at their head,
he induced me to stop there; for he said Rungua had been
very recently destroyed by the Watuta, and this place
could afford porters better than it. To all appearance
this was the case, for this district was better cultivated
than any place I had seen. I also felt a certain inclination
to stop, as I was dragging on sick men, sorely against
my feelings; and I also thought I had better not go farther
away from my rear property; but, afraid of doing
wrong in not acting up to Musa’s directions, I called up
his head men who were with me, and asked them what
they thought of the matter, as they had lately come from
Rungiia. On their confirming Sirboko’s story, and advising
my stopping, I acceded to their recommendation,
and immediately gave Miisa’s men orders to look out for
porters.
Hearing this, all my Wanguana danced with delight;
and I, fearing there was some treachery, called Musa’s men
again, saying I had changed my mind, and wished to go
on in the afternoon; but when the time came, not one of
our porters could be seen. There was now no help for it;
so, taking it coolly, I gave Miisa’s men presents, begged
them to look sharp in getting the men up, and trusted all
would end well in the long-run. Sirboko’s attentions