ey, as the chiefs take their
taxes by deputy, partly out of pride, and partly because they think they
can extort more by keeping in the mysterious distance. At the same
time, the caravan prefers camping in the jungles beyond the villages
to mingling with the inhabitants, where rows might be engendered.
We sometimes noticed Albinos, with greyish-blue eyes and light
straw-coloured hair. Not unfrequently we would pass on the track side
small heaps of white ashes, with a calcined bone or two among them.
These, we were told, were the relics of burnt witches. The caravan
track we had now to travel on leads along the right bank of the Kingani
valley, overlooking Uzegura, which, corresponding with Uzaramo, only on
the other side of the Kigani, extends northwards to the Pangani river,
and is intersected in the centre by the Wami river, of which more
hereafter.

Starting on a march with a large mixed caravan, consisting of 1 corporal
and 9 privates, Hottentots--1 jemadar and 25 privates, Beluchs--1 Arab
Cafila Bashi and 75 freed slaves--1 Kirangozi, or leader, and 100 negro
porters--12 mules untrained, 3 donkeys, and 22 goats--one could hardly
expect to find everybody in his place at the proper time for breaking
ground; but, at the same time, it could hardly be expected that ten men,
who had actually received their bounty-money, and had sworn fidelity,
should give one the slip the very first day. Such, however, was the
case. Ten out of the thirty-six given by the Sultan ran away, because
they feared that the white men, whom they believed to be cannibals, were
only taking them into the interior to eat them; and one pagazi, more
honest than the freed men, deposited his pay upon the ground, and ran
away too. Go we must, however; for one desertion is sure to lead to
more; and go we did. Our procession was in this fashion: The Kirangozi,
with a load on his shoulder, led the way, flag in hand, followed by the
pagazis carrying spears of bows and arrows in their hands, and bearing
their share of the baggage in the shape either of bolster-shaped loads
of cloth and beads covered with matting, each tied into the fork of a
three-pronged stick, or else coils of brass or copper wire tied in even
weights to each end of sticks which they laid on the shoulder; then
helter-skelter came the Wanguana, carrying carbines in their hands, and
boxes, bundles, tents, cooking-pots--all the miscellaneous property--on
their heads; next the Hottentots, draggi