s, or slave-hunts more properly speaking, do not disturb the industry
of the people, cultivation thrives surprisingly; but such a boon is
rarely granted them. It is in consequence of these constantly-recurring
troubles that the majority of the Wasagara villages are built on
hill-spurs, where the people can the better resist attack, or, failing,
disperse and hide effectually. The normal habitation is the small
conical hut of grass. These compose villages, varying in number
according to the influence of their head men. There are, however, a few
mud villages on the table-lands, each built in a large irregular square
of chambers with a hollow yard in the centre, known as tembe.

As to the people of these uplands, poor, meagre-looking wretches, they
contrast unfavourably with the lowlanders on both sides of them. Dingy
in colour, spiritless, shy, and timid, they invite attack in a country
where every human being has a market value, and are little seen by the
passing caravan. In habits they are semi-pastoral agriculturalists, and
would be useful members of society were they left alone to cultivate
their own possessions, rich and beautiful by nature, but poor and
desolate by force of circumstance. Some of the men can afford a cloth,
but the greater part wear an article which I can only describe as a
grass kilt. In one or two places throughout the passage of these hills
a caravan may be taxed, but if so, only to a small amount; the villagers
more frequently fly to the hill-tops as soon as the noise of the
advancing caravan is heard, and no persuasions will bring them down
again, so much ground have they, from previous experience, to fear
treachery. It is such sad sights, and the obvious want of peace and
prosperity, that weary the traveller, and make him every think of
pushing on to his journey's end from the instant he enters Africa until
he quits the country.

Knowing by old experience that the beautiful green park in the fork of
these rivers abounded in game of great variety and in vast herds, where
no men are ever seen except some savage hunters sitting in the trees
with poisoned arrows, or watching their snares and pitfalls, I had all
along determined on a hunt myself, to feed and cheer the men, and also
to collect some specimens for the home museums. In the first object we
succeeded well, as "the bags" we made counted two brindled gnu, four
water-boc, one pallah-boc, and one pig,--enough to feed abundantly the
whole camp