wood, and much used as an ornament. She was accompanied by
about a dozen young and old female attendants, each carrying a small
basket with some provisions, as cassava, ground-nuts, &c. The Arabs
were all dressed in their finery, and the slaves, in fantastic
dresses, flourished swords, fired guns, and yelled. When she was
brought to Hamees' hut she descended, and with her maids went into the
hut. She and her attendants had all small, neat features. I had been
sitting with Hamees, and now rose up and went away; as I passed him,
he spoke thus to himself: "Hamees Wadim Tagh! see to what you have
brought yourself!!"

_15th September, 1867._--A guide had come from Nsama to take us to the
countries beyond his territory. Hamees set off this morning with his
new wife to his father-in-law, but was soon met by two messengers, who
said that he was not to come yet. We now sent for all the people who
were out to go west or north-west without reference to Nsama.

_16th-18th September, 1867._--Hamidi went to Nsama to try and get
guides, but he would not let him come into his stockade unless he came
up to it without either gun or sword. Hamidi would not go in on these
conditions, but Nsama promised guides, and they came after a visit by
Hamees to Nsama, which he paid without telling any of us: he is
evidently ashamed of his father-in-law.

Those Arabs who despair of ivory invest their remaining beads and
cloth in slaves.

_20th September, 1867._--I had resolved to go to Nsama's, and thence
to Moero to-day, but Hamees sent to say that men had come, and we were
all to go with them on the 22nd. Nsama was so vacillating that I had
no doubt but this was best.

Hamees' wife, seeing the preparations that were made for starting,
thought that her father was to be attacked, so she, her attendants,
and the guides decamped by night. Hamees went again to Nsama and got
other guides to enable us to go off at once.

_22nd September, 1867._--We went north for a couple of hours, then
descended into the same valley as that in which I found Nsama. This
valley is on the slope of the watershed, and lies east and west: a
ridge of dark-red sandstone, covered with trees, forms its side on the
south. Other ridges like this make the slope have the form of a stair
with huge steps: the descent is gradually lost as we insensibly climb
up the next ridge. The first plain between the steps is at times
swampy, and the paths are covered with the impressions of hu