n length,
whilst below them were tied an even larger collection of spears,
intermixed with a goodly assortment of heavy-headed assages. I was
struck with no small surprise at the way he received me, as well as with
the extraordinary dimensions, yet pleasing beauty, of the immoderately
fat fair one his wife. She could not rise; and so large were her arms
that, between the joints, the flesh hung down like large, loose-stuffed
puddings. Then in came their children, all models of the Abyssinian type
of beauty, and as polite in their manners as thorough-bred gentlemen.
They had heard of my picture-books from the king, and all wished to see
them; which they no sooner did, to their infinite delight, especially
when they recognised any of the animals, then the subject was turned
by my inquiring what they did with so many milk-pots. This was easily
explained by Wazezeru himself, who, pointing to his wife, said, "This
is all the product of those pots: from early youth upwards we keep those
pots to their mouths, as it is the fashion at court to have very fat
wives."

27th.--Ever anxious to push on with the journey, as I felt every day's
delay only tended to diminish my means--that is, my beads and copper
wire--I instructed Bombay to take the under-mentioned articles to
Rumanika as a small sample of the products of my country; [11] to say
I felt quite ashamed of their being so few and so poor, but I hoped he
would forgive my shortcomings, as he knew I had been so often robbed on
the way to him; and I trusted, in recollection of Musa, he would give
me leave to go on to Uganda, for every day's delay was consuming my
supplies. Nnanaji, however, it was said, should get something; so,
in addition to the king's present, I apportioned one out for him, and
Bombay took both up to the palace. [12] Everybody, I was pleased to
hear, was surprised with both the quantity and quality of what I had
been able to find for them; for, after the plundering in Ugogo, the
immense consumption caused by such long delays on the road, the fearful
prices I had had to pay for my porters' wages, the enormous taxes I had
been forced to give both in Msalala and Uzinza, besides the
constant thievings in camp, all of which was made public by the
constantly-recurring tales of my men, nobody thought I had got anything
left.

Rumanika, above all, was as delighted as if he had come in for a
fortune, and sent to say the Raglan coat was a marvel, and the scarlet
broad