132 RUBAGA TO MRULI.

which had adorned his estate to be cut down, so the chief charm of the landscape now consists of an enormous straw fence ten feet high, which surrounds Mréko’s huts! He himself, an old acquaintance, came at once to welcome me, assigned us houses, loaded us with sweet potatoes and bananas, and, at my request, immediately sent off some of his people to inquire after my missing loads. In two hours I received nearly all of them, and before sunset J was in happy possession of them all. The manioc plants I had brought with me had not suffered, but the little coffee-trees were withered. The inhabitants of the village, who knew me of old, brought me small presents of bananas, egos, and sweet potatoes, so that we could hold high festival that day. As I was to be provided with fresh porters here, three days slipped by, as I had foreseen they would, before we could even dream of collecting the men. I utilised the hours which were free from rain by hunting and collecting, for both of which pursuits this district is exceptionally well suited. A visit to Mréko’s hut, a nocturnal expedition, during which a quantity of beautiful white honey was obtained from a hollow tree, and the arrival of messengers from Mtésa bearing curious letters from him, made the time pass quickly. One of my Wanyoro porters disappeared soon after my arrival; his relations are said to live in the neighbourhood, and it was generally believed that he ran away to join them, but I did not believe this story.

At last, on Monday, Mréko’s big drum brought the porters together, and half an hour later we were on our way, this time in possession of all our luggage. Shortly before our departure, Maténgali Kasamiriri arrived from Rubaga with friendly letters from Hamis-ben-Halfin and Mesaud-ben-Salimin, chiefs of the Zanzibar colony in Uganda. Many sweet-scented mimosas, with splendid red blossoms, and quantities of euphorbias grew on the low grass, but the day’s journey was again impeded by much water and mud. Real acacia woods are to be found here, which, on account of their light foliage and their many bare branches full of white thorns, appeared from a distance as if shrouded in mist.

The miserable little village of Demba, quite close to Mréko’s zertba, was chosen for our halting-place, in order to give the