us, stopping four
days at each stage.

Frij again told me he was present when Said Said, the Sultan of
Zanzibar, sent an army to assist the Wagunya at Amu, on the coast,
against the incursions of the Masai. These Amu people have the same
Wahuma features as Kamrasi, whom they also resemble both in general
physical appearance, and in many of them having circular marks, as if
made by cautery, on the forehead and temples. These marks I took not to
be tatooing or decorative, but as a cure for disease--cautery being a
favourite remedy with both races.

The battle lasted only two days, though the Masai brought a thousand
spears against the Arabs' cannon. But this was not the only battle Said
Said had to fight on those grounds; for some years previously he had to
subdue the Waziwa, who live on very marshy land, into respect for his
sovereignty, when the battle lasted years, in consequence of the bad
nature of the ground, and the trick the Waziwa had of staking the ground
with spikes. The Wasuahili, or coast-people, by his description, are the
bastards or mixed breeds who live on the east coast of Africa, extending
from the Somali country to Zanzibar. Their language is Kisuahili; but
there is no land Usuahili, though people talk of going to the Suahili in
the same vague sense as they do of going to the Mashenzi, or amongst the
savages. The common story amongst the Wasuahili at Zanzibar, in regard
to the government of that island, was, that the Wakhadim, or aborigines
of Zanzibar, did not like the oppressions of the Portuguese, and
therefore allied themselves to the Arabs of Muscat--even compromising
their natural birthright of freedom in government, provided the Arabs,
by their superior power, would secure to them perpetual equity, peace
and justice. The senior chief, Sheikh Muhadim, was the mediator on
their side, and without his sanction no radial changes compromising the
welfare of the land could take place; the system of arbitration being,
that the governing Arab on the one side, and the deputy of the Wakhadim
on the other, should hold conference with a screen placed between them,
to obviate all attempts at favour, corruption, or bribery.

The former report of the approach of my men, with as many Waganda and
cows for me, turned out partly false, inasmuch as only one of my men was
with 102 Waganda, whilst the whole of the deserters were left behind in
Uganda with cows; and Kamrasi hearing this, ordered all to go back again