In th e e v e n in g w e re a ch e d M w ir i W a n d a , a la r g e v illa g e
fo rtified w ith a s t ro n g p a lisa d e . I t w a s th e filth ie s t I
h ad y e t se en in A f r ic a . D ow n th e m id d le tr ic k le d a
sm a ll g u t te r s tre am filled w ith re fu se o f e v e r y k in d , an d
e x h a l in g a d is g u s t in g od ou r. T h is w a s th e o n ly d r in k in g
w a te r in th e p la c e . T h e c h ie f w a s an o ld m an w h o s e
le g s w e re p a r a ly z e d , an d n o th in g b u t sk in an d b o n e : he
h ad a p p a r e n t ly n o t w a sh e d fo r y e a r s . I co u ld g e t n e ith e r
c h ic k e n s n o r g o a ts , b u t h e p rom ised me som e fo r th e
m orrow .
O n th a t m o r row o c cu r red on e o f th e u su a l d isp u te s
in s e p a r a b le from t r a v e llin g w ith p o rte r s . T h e d a y o p en ed
w ith fie rc e w in d an d a fine, ic e -co ld ra in , in th e m id s t o f
w h ich I b e g a n to cu t th e c a lic o to p a y m y men from
K a r o n g a— th re e y a r d s ap ie c e . W h e n I h ad cu t th ir ty
p ie c e s th e h e a dm an an d a ll th e o th e r s d is a p p e a re d , s a y in g
I w a s n o t c u t t in g en o u g h p e r man. K n o w in g th e ir w a y s
I to o k n o n o tic e . A t th is p o in t th e re a p p e a r e d m o s t
o p p o r tu n e ly an e x - a g e n t o f th e A f r ic a n L a k e s C o rp o ra t io n
w ith a n um e ro u s c a ra v a n . H e a llow e d m e to ta k e tw e n t y
o f h is men. O th e r s c am e in an d I h ad soon en lis ted
s e v e n t y - s ix : th e s e w e re to g o o n ly a s fa r a s M w en z o , th re e
o r fo u r d a y s fo rw a rd , a fte r w h ich I sh o u ld h a v e to g e t more.
T h e n e x t t a s k w a s to c a ll th e ro ll, cu t an d d is tr ib u te a
y a r d o f c a lic o a p ie c e a s “ p o s h o ”— th a t is to b u y th e ir
fo o d fo r th e jo u rn e y w ith— an d d is tr ib u te th e load s . T h a t
d one , m y K a r o n g a men th o u g h t b e t te r o f it an d tu rn ed
u p to b e p a id— th re e y a r d s a p ie c e to cu t an d d is tr ib u te ,
s t ill in th e s am e fre e z in g ra in . G la d I w a s to b e on th e
m o v e a g a in . W e m a r ch e d th re e h ou r s th a t a fte rn o o n , an d
th e n h a lte d a t a v i l la g e w ith th e h u ts p iled on e on to p
o f an o th e r a s in th e la s t on e w e h a d p a s s e d , an d , i f
p o s s ib le , e v en d irtie r.
N e x t d a y w e h a lte d a t m id d a y in an a b a n d o n e d v illa g e
an d sp e n t th e n ig h t in an o th e r. I to o k a d v a n t a g e o f th e
fa c t to s tu d y th e t y p ic a l h u t o f th e T a n g a n ik a p la te a u , o f
w h ich I h e re g iv e a p lan . A l l th e v i lla g e s a re s t r o n g ly
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p a lisa d e d , an d th e g a t e is m ad e o f a tre e tru n k sp lit in
tw o an d sw in g in g from a c ro ss p o le p a s s e d th ro u g h a h o le
on th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e sp lit trun k . A l l th e v illa g e s an d
h u ts a re a lik e , an d so a re a ll th e p eo p le . T h e y a re a s
w ild a s an im a ls , an d ta k e to flig h t a t o n c e a t s ig h t o f the
A—Raised stand, for the cooking pots when they are not used.
^ Fireplace, consisting of two pillars of clay a foot high, on which the pots
are placed. The same arrangement, but smaller, is found outside, and
cooking is done there when the weather is fine.
Z—Stone embedded in the ground for grinding corn.-
X—Hole where the flour is collected when ground.
w h ite man. M en , women,, an d ch ild ren lo o k a s i f th e y
h ad s e d u lo u s ly ro lled in th e m u d an d g o t c o v e red a ll
o v e r w ith a th ic k c o a t in g o f it.
D u r in g th e s e d a y s I lo o k e d in v a in fo r a n y tr a c e o f
th e fam o u s S te v e n so n R o a d , o f w h ich I cou ld d is c o v e r
no s ign . N o tw ith s t a n d in g th e co ld ra in , w h ich w a s in c
e s s an t, I to o k n um e ro u s o b se rv a t io n s , an d I m a y rem a rk
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