172 TO THE LAND OF THE NEGROID strolled proudly away, holding the pots on their heads, gaining erectness of carriage, and commencing the hard share of work which falls to African women. In INIashonaland, spilling of the load is reduced to a minimum by the floating of leaves on the surface ; here there were no leaves to float. On the opposite shore, at the foot of the grass of the eastern island, the crocodiles watched.

A circle of women sat by with their wares, forming a miniature market, welcome to soldiers and sailors ; while an infantile Adam, naked as when he was born, stood on the bank, as our boys do at home, with a stick and some twine and—who knows ?—a bent pin, earnestly fishing. Surely this was a king amongst black men who strode slowly along and lazily looked at the boat with an air of detachment from all his surroundings ! Long, sparelimbed, and lanky, a cloth knotted over one shoulder, he carried a spear. His hair was felted into a flat, fan-like creation at the back of his head, while in front it was short-cropped and reddened. A neat row of cowrie-shells bordered the forehead, while the whole was surmounted by three ostrich feathers, the middle one white. A broad band of white followed the line of the jaw from the ear, the top of which was adorned by a circular disc of sardinetin, and a large ivory bangle was worn on the arm.

All round about him was labour, but no notice took he. The world might be wrecked, but so long as his district remained, what mattered it him ? A picture was brought to my mind of a start from