ach themselves by exorbitant demands of taxes.
Then followed contests for the right of appropriating the taxes, and the
whole ended in the closing of the road, which both parties were equally
anxious to keep open for their mutual gain. This foolish disruption
having at first only lasted for a while, the road was again opened and
again closed, for the merchants wanted an easy passage, and the native
chiefs desired cloths. But it was shut again; and now we heard of its
being for a third time opened, with what success the future only can
determine--for experience WILL not teach the negro, who thinks only for
the moment. Had they only sense to see, and patience to wait, the
whole trade of the interior would inevitably pass through their country
instead of Uzaramo; and instead of being poor in cloths, they would
be rich and well dressed like their neighbours. But the curse of Noah
sticks to these his grandchildren by Ham, and no remedy that has yet
been found will relieve them. They require a government like ours in
India; and without it, the slave trade will wipe them off the face of
the earth.

Now leaving the open parks of pretty acacias, we followed up the Mgazi
branch of the Mgeta, traversed large tree-jungles, where the tall
palm is conspicuous, and drew up under the lumpy Mkambaku, to find
a residence for the day. Here an Arab merchant, Khamis, bound for
Zanzibar, obliged us by agreeing for a few dollars to convey our recent
spoils in natural history to the coast.

My plans for the present were to reach Zungomero as soon as possible,
as a few days' halt would be required there to fix the longitude of the
eastern flank of the East Coast Range by astronomical observation;
but on ordering the morning's march, the porters--too well fed and
lazy--thought our marching-rate much too severe, and resolutely refused
to move. They ought to have made ten miles a-day, but preferred doing
five. Argument was useless, and I was reluctant to apply the stick,
as the Arabs would have done when they saw their porters trifling
with their pockets. Determining, however, not to be frustrated in this
puerile manner, I ordered the bugler to sound the march, and started
with the mules and coast-men, trusting to Sheikh and Baraka to bring on
the Wanyamuezi as soon as they could move them. The same day we crossed
the Mgazi where we found several Wakhutu spearing fish in the muddy
hovers of its banks.

We slept under a tree, and this morning fo