d have been better had I thrown ten
loads away at Ugogo, where my difficulties first commenced. On arrival
at Mgongo Thembo--the Elephant's Back--called so in consequence of a
large granitic rock, which resembles the back of that animal, protruding
through the ground--we found a clearance in the forest, of two miles
in extent, under cultivation. Here the first man to meet me was the
fugitive chief of Rubuga, Maula. This poor old man--one of the honestest
chiefs in the country--had been to the former expedition a host and good
friend. He now gave me a cow as a present, and said he would give me
ten more if I would assist him in making friends with the Arabs, who
had driven him out of his country, and had destroyed all his belongings,
even putting a slave to reign in his stead, though he had committed no
fault of intentional injury towards them. It was true Manua Sera, their
enemy, had taken refuge in his palace, but that was not his fault; for,
anticipating the difficulties that would arise, he did his best to keep
Manua Sera out of it, but Manua Sera being too strong for him, forced
his way in. I need not say I tried to console this unfortunate victim of
circumstances as best I could, inviting him to go with me to Kaze, and
promising to protect him with my life if he feared the Arabs; but the
old man, being too feeble to travel himself, said he would send his son
with me.

Next day we pushed on a double march through the forest, and reached
a nullah. As it crosses the track in a southerly direction, this might
either be the head of the Kululu mongo or river, which, passing through
the district of Kiwele, drains westward into the Malagarazi river, and
thence into the Tanganyika, or else the most westerly tributary to the
Ruaha river, draining eastward into the sea. The plateau, however,
is apparently so flat here, that nothing b a minute survey, or rather
following the watercourse, could determine the matter. Then emerging
from the wilderness, we came into the open cultivated district of Tura,
or "put down"--called so by the natives because it was, only a few years
ago, the first cleared space in the wilderness, and served as a good
halting-station, after the normal ten day's march in the jungles, where
we had now been struggling more than a month.

The whole place, once so fertile, was now almost depopulated and in a
sad state of ruin, showing plainly the savage ravages of war; for the
Arabs and their slaves, when they