ridges which, like walls, flank the broad natural
avenue, at the upper end o f which stands the
capital o f the king o f Usiha, shaded b y glorious
boabab and b ow ery masses o f milk-weed.
A s we were marching from Wandui to Mondo,
on the 20th February, we were once again
mistaken b y the Warlike natives for Mirambo,
but the mistake went no further than war-cries,
long, low, and melodious, caught up b y hundreds
o f clear voices, and a demonstrative exhibition
o f how they would have exterminated us had
w e been really and truly Mirambo. In proportion
as Mirambo haunts their vicinity, so do the
natives appear to be possessed and disturbed.
Wandui and Usiha become suddenly exercised
at seeing their cattle run frightened from some
prowling beast, and immediately the cry o f
“ Mirambo, Mirambo!” is raised, and from e v e ry
height the alarming cry is echoed, until from
Usiha to Usanda, and from Masari north to
Usmau, the dread name is repeated. Then two
neighbours, finding it was a mistake, quarrel
with each other, and begin fighting, and in the
midst o f their local war Mirambo veritably appears,
as though from the ground, and attacks
both!
North o f Mondo, as far as Abaddi, or Baddi
— sometimes Abatti— the country rolled, clear
and open, like a treeless park, with scarcely a
single shrub or tree. T he grass was only an
rFeb. A, 18751 f o o d c h e a p in u s u k u m a ,
]_ A b a d d i. J
inch high. The rock-crowned hills were, however,
still frequent features. AH the male adults o f
Abaddi stalked about stark naked, but their
women were clad with stiff skins and half tanned
cowhides. The herds o f cattle and flocks o f
goats and sheep absolutely whitened the glorious
park country.
The following brief list o f prices will serve to
illustrate this extraordinary land o f plenty:—
Prices at Abaddi.
! ox . . . . . . . . . 6 yards of sheeting.
1 goat . . . . ■ • • • • 2 » ”
1 s h e e p .....................................2 » ”
j c h i c k e n ................................1 necklace.
6 chickens . ...........................2 yards of sheeting.
40 kubaba of Mtama. . . . 4 ,, »
Prices in Ugogo.l
x ox ................................48 yards of sheeting.
1 goat...........................................12 » »
1 sheep . . . . . . . . 10 „ „
1 chicken . . . . . • • From' 5 to xo necklaces.
6 chickens . . ■..................... i 2 yards of sheeting.
40 kubaba of Mtama . . . 16 „ »
T he villages o f this part o f Usukuma are surrounded
b y hedges o f euphorbias, milk-weed,
the juice o f which is most acrid, and when a
drop is spattered over such a tender organ as
the e y e , the pain is almost intolerable. M y
poor bull-terrier Jack, while chasing a mongoose
into one o f these hedg e s , quite lost the use o f
one eye. '
Nz ,