looking, and wore a curious petticoat very similar to a
Scotch kilt. One girl had her hair all strung with beads,
which looked very curious and pretty. We waited a while
to see the head-man, but he was away. However, we saw him
in the afternoon, and the Liwali acting as interpreter, I agreed
with the chief on the following terms for labourers— For the
men, twelve pice a d a y ; for women, ten pice; and for
children, six pice a d a y ; the working hours to be from 7
till 11 a.m. and from 1 t ill, 5 p.m. The head-man guaranteed
to supply me with fifty people from his village at any
WANIKA VILLAGE.
time, the pay to be given daily on completion of the day’s
work. I felt that this arrangement was an important step.
Later on, Bell-Smith and I went to inspect the water
supply. The scarcity of water in Africa strikes a stranger
very forcibly. A t Magarini the water had to be carried a
distance of half a mile, and this was considered quite near.
There were three wells in the sugar-cane valley below
Magarini Hill. In the nearest the’water was discoloured and
not good, but five to eight minutes’ walk further on were two
others yielding good fresh water. I heard they gave out in
very dry seasons.
, On the slope o f Magarini Hill there are two springs; the