52 MRULI TO THE CAPITAL OF UNYORO.

opportunity they picked up some bananas or a sweet potato. Towards midday we reached our former station, Londu, the defenceless stockade of which, with many a spot charred black by fire, produced a very painful impression. The zertba had not been occupied by the Negroes, as a sort of superstitious fear prevents them from dwelling in houses previously occupied by us. Small herds of bullocks and goats and a few solitary inhabitants were visible in the vicinity.

After having settled ourselves for the night as best we could, we sent to the chief of the district, who lved near, to request porters for the morrow, as Kabréga had promised them. I should have preferred my own porters from Mrili, as I could then have been more independent in my movements; but Ridnga’s people absolutely refused to follow me into the land of their deadly enemy, and thus I had to rely upon Kabréga’s people. Biabo, the Matongali who had charge of this place, a corpulent young man with slightly prognathous features, paid me a visit in company with five or six of his men. ‘They were reddish-brown in colour, except one who was deep black—a man from the district of Shifalu, which hes near the rapids of Tada. The colour of the people throughout this country is very various, and graduates from black to yellow; yet, for the most part, the fundamental colour is red. The people are clothed in soft ox-hides, from which the hair has been removed, except at the borders, where a strip of hair of two fingers’-breadth has been left as an ornament; their costume is completed by arm-rings and anklets made of brass and necklets composed of roots. The head is not shaved—shaving is a sign of mourning—indeed you often see very elegant cork-screw-like curls. A small present of beads procured me in return several baskets full of sweet potatoes, and as I had brought a bullock with me from Kistga and presented it to my porters, song and revelry lasted far into the night.

During the night rain began to fall gently, and early on the 16th it poured down in torrents; but in spite of that, the promised porters arrived, and I prepared for the journey. Considering, however, that the baggage would get an unavoidable soaking, and that the troublesome and useless tent we had