There are several reasons which can be given,
besides heat o f the Tropics and inexperience,
for the quick collapse of many o f the Wa-
ngwana on the first march, and the steadiness
evinced b y the native carriers confirms them.
T h e Wangwana lead v e ry impure lives on the
island, and with the importation o f opium b y
the Banyans and Hindis, the Wangwana and
many Arabs have acquired the vicious habit o f
eating this drug. Chewing betel-nut with lime
is another uncleanly and disgusting habit, and
one that can hardly benefit the m ora l o i a man;
while certainly most deleterious to the physical
powers is the almost universal habit o f vehemently
inhaling the smoke o f the Cannabis saliva,
or wild hemp. In a light atmosphere, such as
we have in hot days in the Tropics, with« the
thermometer rising to 1400 Fahr. in the sun,
these p eople, with lungs and vitals injured b y
excessive indulgence in these destructive habits,
discover th e y have no physical stamina to sustain
them. T h e rigour o f a march in a loaded caravan
soon t e l l s upon their weakened powers, and one
b y one th ey drop from the ranks, betraying
their impotence and infirmities. From this date
I set myself to examine their several cases,
and the results which I gathered may be found
in the Ap p en d ix , from which the thoughtful
student may perhaps deduce some useful
hints.
During the afternoon o f this day, as I was
preparing my last letters, I was rather astonished
b y a visit paid to my camp b y a detachment
o f Baluchi soldiers, the chief o f whom bore a
letter from the governor o f Bagamoyo— Mansur
bin. Suliman— wherein he complained that the
Wangwana had induced about fifteen women to
abandon their masters, and requested me to
return them.
Upon mustering the people, and inquiring into
their domestic affairs, it was discovered that a
number o f women had indeed joined the E x pedition
during the night. Some o f them bore
free papers given them b y H.M. Political R e sident
at Zanzibar, but nine were b y their own
confessions runaways. After being hospitably
received b y the Sultan and the Arabs o f Zanzibar,
it w’as no part o f my d uty, I considered,
unauthorized as I was b y any government, to
be even a passive agent in this novel method
o f liberating slaves. T h e order was therefore
given that these women should return with the
soldiers, but as this did not agree with either
the views o f the women or o f their loving
abductors, a determined opposition was raised,
which bore every appearance o f soon culminating
in sanguinary strife. The men seized their
Snider rifles and T ow e r muskets, and cartridges,
ramrods and locks were handled with looks,
which boded mischief. Acting upon the prin