274 LABORE TO FATIKO.

the same day. When, after a long debate, in which even his wives took part, and after an appeal to me to stay for old acquaintance’ sake, I at last yielded to his importunity, his men were immediately ordered to bring wood and water, a goat for myself, and several pots of mrisa for my men. A present of cloths, glass beads, copper, and a bottle of wine for himself, requited his kindness and increased his good-humour. Rochama had aged, but was still the faithful, amiable man I had previously found him to be. He has no power at all over his people, who make fun of the long-winded orations he is so fond of making on every possible occasion. His son is very young, and cannot support his authority, but this is certainly done by his first, old, and ugly wife, who is only distinguished from her inferiors by a rather longer tail; she was very obliging.

The village is beautifully situated. A fine khor, fringed with beautiful vegetation, flows along the bottom of a wide clearing, which is covered with short succulent grass, and resembles a meadow. It is adorned with handsome colossal fig-trees, tamarinds, and dolébs. Close beside the village, which nestles among crags, there is a rocky ridge, upon which I found a plant quite new to me. I am inclined to call it a reed palm; it is named here Zakorta, and is said to be confined to this mountain. J[ had never seen it before in any of my long expeditions, and of course I collected specimens. Bananas are scarce; evidently the soft yellow loamy soil does not suit them.

A concourse of people had gradually assembled; their appearance was very striking, on account of the curious way in which their bodies were painted; purple spots in front of the ears and an ashy-grey ring round each eye seemed to be the favourite design. I noticed several zebra-hides among those worn as clothing by the men, and I elicited that the animal was very common towards the east, and especially in the open sandy Lango district. A very old and defective zebra-skin was worn by one of the boys. Its very narrow dark stripes on a pale yellow foundation seemed to indicate a particular variety, but perhaps it was only the skin of a young animal.

Great men do not make great haste, so we could not set off