the Tanganika. Ruango, the veteran guide, who
showed Livingstone and myself the Rusizi river
in 1871, and whose version is confirmed by Para,
the other guide, related the first as follows:—
“ Years and years ago, where you see this
great lake, was a wide plain, inhabited by many
tribes and nations, who owned large herds of
cattle and flocks of goats, just as you see Uhha
to-day.
“ On this plain there was a very large town,
fenced round with poles strong and high. As
was the custom in those days, the people of
the town surrounded their houses with tall hedges
of cane, enclosing courts, where their cattle and
goats were herded at night from the wild beasts
and from thieves. In one of these enclosures
lived a man and his wife, who possessed a deep
well, from which water bubbled up and supplied
a beautiful little stream, at which the cattle of
their neighbours slaked their thirst.
“ Strange to say, this well contained countless
fish, which supplied both the man. and his wife
with an abundant supply for their wants; but as
their possession of these treasures depended
upon the secrecy which they preserved respecting
them, no one outside their family circle knew
anything of them. A tradition was handed down
for ages, through the family, from father to son,
that on the day they showed the well to
strangers, they would be ruined and destroyed.
“ It happened, however, that the wife, unknown
to her husband, loved another man in the town,
and by and by, her passion increasing, she
conveyed to him by stealth some of the delicious
fish from the wonderful well. The meat was
so good, and had such a novel flavour, that
the lover urged her to inform him whence and
by what means she obtained It; but the fear of
dreadful consequences, should she betray the
secret of the well, constrained her to evade for
a long time his eager inquiries. But she could
not retain the secret long, and so, in spite ot
all her awe for the Muzimu of the well, and her
dread of her husband’s wrath, she at last promised
to disclose the mystery.
“Now one day the husband had to undertake
a journey to Uvinza, but before departure he
strictly enjoined his wife to look after his house
and effects, and to remember to be silent about
the fountain, and by no means to admit strangers,
or to go a-gadding with her neighbours, while
he was absent. The wife of course promised to
obey, but her husband had been gone only a
few hours when she went to her lover and said,
‘My husband is gone away to Uvinza, and will
not be back for many days. You have often
asked me whence I obtained that delicious meat
we ate together. Come with me, and I will
show you.’ -
“Her loyer gladly accompanied her, and they
THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT. VOL. III. C