h e re on th e a s to u n d in g p a t ie n c e req u ired to g o on m a k in g
m ap s in A f r ic a . Ju d g in g b y th e sp e c im en s I h a v e seen,
few t r a v e lle r s h a v e so fa r g iv e n th em s e lv e s m u ch tro u b le
in th is line . T o t a k e h u n d re d s o f a n g le s w h en y o u are'
d e a d b e a t an d w e t to th e sk in is m o s t t r y in g , b u t it is
th e o n ly w a y to o b ta in s e r io u s re su lts . I f e v e r y t r a v e lle r
w o u ld ta k e th e tro u b le to do th is w e sh o u ld soon h a v e
re a l m ap s , w h ich a t p re se n t w e h a v e not. I d o n o t
p re te n d th a t m y ow n a re p e r fe c t o r n e a r it, b u t a t a n y
ra te th e y w o u ld s e r v e a s a m o re o r le s s t ru s tw o r th y b a s is ,
an d c o u ld b e e a s i ly con n ec ted .
O n M a y 8 th I fin ish ed th e fir s t h a l f o f th e jo u rn e y ,
a r r iv in g a t th e v i l la g e o f M w en z o a t a q u a r te r to tw o ;
an d a t F i fe , th e s ta t io n o f th e A f r ic a n L a k e s C om p a n y ,
an h o u r an d a h a l f la te r . F i f e is su r ro u n d ed b y a s tro n g
b om a an d an a dm ir a b ly - c o n s t ru c t e d fort. H e r e I w a s
h o sp ita b ly re c e iv e d b y M r. M cC o rm ic k , o f th e A f r ic a n
L a k e s Co., an d b y M r. K id d , w h o h a p p en e d to b e there.
M r. M cC o rm ic k to ld m e th a t tw o sm a ll r iv e r s w h ich w e
p a s s e d b e fo re c om in g to M w en z o u n ite w ith th e ’M k a le s i
a b o u t th i r t y m ile s from F i f e to fo rm th e T sh am b e z i.
T h is r iv e r is th e a c tu a l so u r c e o f th e C o n g o . T h e ’M k a le s i
ru n s th ro u g h m a r sh e s w h ich y o u c an s e e from th e s ta tio n ,
an d a ft e r r e c e iv in g th e tw o sm a ll s t r e am s ' fo rm s a la k e
w h ich th e n a t iv e s c a ll th e N y a n z a y a ’M k a le s i. N o
E u r o p e a n h a s e v e r v is ite d i t ; in th a t p a r t o f th e
c o u n t ry , w h ich a b o u n d s w ith e lep h an ts , th e n a tiv e s
a re i l l - d i s p o s e d : it se em s th a t L iv in g s to n e o n c e p a s s e d
th ro u g h th e ir c o u n try , an d s h o r t ly a ft e r th is th e ir p r in c ip a l
c h ie f d ie d— a c le a r c a s e o f w it c h c r a ft a g a in s t th e w h ite
m an .
T h e r e w a s th e u su a l d e a r th o f p o r te r s a t F i f e— b u t on e
d o s e o f th a t s to r y is en o u g h fo r a ch ap te r. I m an a g ed
to g e t s ta r te d on th e a fte rn o o n o f th e 9 th , an d in o rd e r
to re a c h th e n e x t v i l la g e b e fo re d a rk I d id fiv e m ile s
in an h o u r an d a h a lf, w h ich is a fin e p e r fo rm an c e fo r
A f r ic a . A f t e r tw o d u ll d a y s o f m a r sh y w a lk in g I re a ch ed
292
FROM N Y A S A L A N D TO U J I J I
M am bw e , w h e re I w a s la id u p s i x d a y s u n d e r th e k in d
c a re o f th e fa th e r s o f th e M is s io n d ’A lg e r .
A s M am bw e is the m o s t im p o r tan t p la c e on th e T a n -
g a n ik a p la te a u , I m a y h e re sum u p w h a t I w a s a b le to
o b s e rv e o f th e in h a b itan ts o f th is p a r t. M w in i M am bw e ,
th e c h ie f o f M am bw e , is n om in a lly lo rd o f th e w h o le
c o u n t r y ; b u t in r e a lit y th e o th e r ch ie fs— Fw am b o , K e r a ,
and M p e n z a— a re in d ep en d en t.
O n th e d e a th o f a c h ie f th e su c c e s s io n is d e c id ed b y
th e p eo p le o f th e v illa g e , an d it is a m is ta k e to su p p o s e
th a t h is e ld e s t son su c c e ed s a s a m a t te r o f cou rse. F o r
in s tan c e , th e la s t c h ie f o f F w am b o w a s n o t su c c e ed ed b y
h is e ld e s t s o n ; h is e le c tio n w a s o b je c te d to b y th e w om en
o f th e v illa g e , w ith w h om h e w a s u n p o p u la r. A t M p e n z a
th e re w a s a k in d o f c o n te s ted e le c tio n b e tw e en th e son
an d th e n e p h ew o f th e la te ch ie f. T h e son w o n a fte r
a p ro lo n g e d d isp u te . O th e rw is e th e g o v e rnm e n t o f th is
tr ib e p re sen t s n o n o tew o r th y fe a tu re s.
S la v e r y is, o f cou rse , v e r y com m on . T h e p r ic e o f a
.man is fo u r o r fiv e d o t is (e a ch o f tw o y a rd s o f c a lico),
an d s la v e r y fo r d e b t is en fo rc ed .
T h e s e p e o p le h a v e a v a g u e so r t o f S u p r em e B e in g
c a lle d L e s a , w h o h a s g o o d an d e v il p a s s io n s ; b u t h ere,
a s e v e ryw h e r e e lse , th e M u s im o , o r sp ir it s o f th e an c e s to rs ,
a re a le a d in g fe a tu re in th e b e lie fs . T h e y a re p ro p it ia te d
a s e lsew h e re b y p la c in g lit t le h e a p s o f s to n e s a b o u t th e ir
fa v o u r ite h au n ts . A t c e r ta in p e r io d s o f th e y e a r th e
p e o p le m a k e p ilg r im a g e s to th e m o u n ta in o f Fw am b o -
L iam b a , on th e sum m it o f w h ich is a so r t o f sm a ll a lta r
o f s tone s. T h e r e th e y d e p o s it b it s o f w o od , to w h ich
a re a tta ch e d s c ra p s o f c a lico , flow e rs , o r b e a d s : th is is
to p ro p it ia te L e s a . A f t e r h a rv e s t, fo r in s tan c e , th e y m a k e
su ch an o ffe r in g . S o , w h en a g ir l b e com e s m a r r ia g e a b le ,
sh e ta k e s fo o d w ith h e r an d g o e s u p to th e m o u n ta in
fo r s e v e r a l d a y s . W h e n sh e re tu rn s th e o th e r w om en
le a d h e r in p ro c e s s io n th ro u g h th e v illa g e s , w a v in g lo n g
tu ft s o f g r a s s an d p a lm s . T h e g i r l m a y b e a lr e a d y
293