beads. Blue and white beads resembling the cut stem of
a clay pipe are used as currency in Ujiji and all over that
portion of Africa. These beads are not used as ornaments.
The houses are square, and consist of two square rooms
without windows ; outside grinding-stones are laid into the
ground. Rats, crickets, and cockroaches run about the
place, and jiggers are found in great numbers.
At last Njumba Serere, my headman, appeared, as drunk
as could be. I told him to go and look but for the missing
men. With much dignity he brought me three men who
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U J I JI FROM KASIMBO.
had already answered to the call. I gave him the names
of the missing men, but he brought me four other men
who had also answered the call; so in order to bring him
to his senses I ordered David to give him six lashes of the
whip, and half an hour later he returned, much sobered,
with the missing men. I found that these men had been
put in chains the previous evening by Rumaliza’s orders,
the rascals having engaged themselves to an Arab, and
received an advance from him after having been already
paid to accompany me. They had just been released
after receiving a couple of dozen of well - deserved
lashes.
Just as I was about to leave a little Manyema girl of
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ten rushed among my men. One of the chief’s men came
to claim her as an escaped slave, and having found the
child to be well fed and well clothed I returned her to her
master. Our way lay across an undulating plain at the
foot of a circus of mountains. We marched through long
grass, among which rose a good many wild date trees.
Not a single other tree was to be seen, all had been cut
down for fuel; no care had been taken to plant others to
replace those that were cut, so that the whole place
presented the most desolate appearance. In four hours’
march we reached a picturesque spot at the foot of the
hills, and we camped for the night near the Kasike river.
In the evening some Wangwana came to me and asked
me to allow them to travel under my escort, a permission
I readily granted them.
Soon after leaving camp the next morning we.
climbed the hills' north of Ujiji, getting a splendid
view of Lake Tanganika from their top; it was from
this place that Mr. Stanley first caught sight of the
lake, and I could picture his feelings when he stood
there after all the dangers, all the difficulties he had
conquered; how proud he must have felt, and at the
same time how anxious he must have been to rush
down to Ujiji, and to find whether Livingstone was there!
What a small, humble traveller I felt in comparison with
Stanley; every inch of the ground he covered meant a
new discovery; he had to contend with man, beasts, and
nature. But nothing had stopped him ; and where I then
stood he could proudly exclaim, “ I have succeeded.”
Ahead of us stretched what looked like an undulating
and well-wooded plain. We began the descent, and one
hour later we reached the Luiki river, a stream as pure
as crystal, about forty yards broad and three feet deep.
We crossed it, and after following its banks for half an
hour halted for food. Just before arriving there I had
remained behind the caravan with David, my servant, to
take some observations, and I was hurrying on to pick up
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