266 "AHAI OW MAZADA !"

five or six, but none were seen equal in quality to some which were taken from the Atwot Dinkas of the Mountain Nile during their recent rebellion.

There was now no shyness or hesitation on the part of the people ; they came freely around, men, women, and children, the men entering the ghayassa, and on invitation even invading the lower deck of the steamer. Some of the women ventured exceedingly by visiting the sandal ; their nervousness was extreme, and their precautions amusing. The men put their feet down, in taking a step, with the deliberation and care of a stork, but the ladies were cautious to an excess, fearing a fall. The gangway was level, and full 6 feet wide, and to the waders of marshes this would seem to be as secure as Westminster Bridge ; but one would venture first, slowly, a foot at a time, balancing with bent body and legs, holding the hand of her sister behind, gingerly treading every inch of the sigala, and expressing unbounded relief at the safe termination of the hazardous journey. Yet the same women would entrust themselves without a qualm to the tender mercies of an unstable canoe with brittle clay ends I To my mind, the people generally evinced much more intelligence than many of the raw natives I came across in Mashonaland in 1895. 1 then had great difficulty, when short of food, in explaining that I wanted eggs ; various graphical illustrations proving resultless, a pencil outline was fruitlessly