urs of this, and then came to the ford of the Luao itself. We waded
up a branch of it waist deep for at least a quarter of a mile, then
crossed a narrow part by means of a rude bridge of branches and trees,
of about forty yards width. The Luao, in spreading over the plains,
confers benefits on the inhabitants, though I could not help
concluding it imparts disease too, for the black mud in places smells
horribly. Great numbers of Siluridae, chiefly _Clarias Capensis_,
often three feet in length, spread over the flooded portions of the
country, eating the young of other fishes, and insects, lizards, and
worms, killed by the waters. The people make weirs for them, and as
the waters retire kill large numbers, which they use as a relish to
their farinaceous food.

_16th January, 1868._--After sleeping near the Luao we went on towards
the village, in which Mohamad's son lives. It is on the Kakoma Eiver,
and is called Kabwabwata, the village of Mubao. In many of the
villages the people shut their stockades as soon as we appear, and
stand bows and arrows in hand till we have passed: the reason seems to
be that the slaves when out of sight of their masters carry things
with a high hand, demanding food and other things as if they had power
and authority. One slave stole two tobacco pipes yesterday in passing
through a village; the villagers complained to me when I came up, and
I waited till Mohamad came and told him; we then went forward, the men
keeping close to me till we got the slave and the pipes. They stole
cassava as we went along, but this could scarcely be prevented. They
laid hold of a plant an inch-and-a-half thick, and tore it out of the
soft soil with its five or six roots as large as our largest carrots,
stowed the roots away in their loads, and went on eating them; but the
stalk thrown among those still growing shows the theft. The raw roots
are agreeable and nutritious. No great harm is done by this, for the
gardens are so large, but it inspires distrust in the inhabitants, and
makes it dangerous for Arabs to travel not fully manned and armed.

On reaching the village Kabwabwata a great demonstration was made by
Mohamad's Arab dependants and Wanyamwesi: the women had their faces
all smeared with pipeclay, and lullilooed with all their might. When
we came among the huts, they cast handfuls of soil on their heads,
while the men fired off their guns as fast as they could load them.
Those connected with Mohamad ran a