or this offence against the "church." As yet, he said, the
chief was not aware of the damage done, and it was well he was not; for
he would himself, if I only paid him the four cloths, settle matters
quietly, otherwise there would be no knowing what demands might be made
on my cloth. It was necessary to get up hot temper, else there was no
knowing how far he would go; so I returned him his presents, and told
the sheikh, instead of giving four, to fling six cloths in his face, and
tell him that the holy-stone story was merely a humbug, and I would take
care no more white men ever came to see him again.

Some Wanyamuezi porters, who had been left sick here by former caravans,
now wished to take service with me as far as Kaze; but the Wagogo,
hearing of their desire, frightened them off it. A report also at this
time was brought to us, that a caravan had just arrived at our last
ground, having come up from Whindi, direct by the line of the Wami
river, in its upper course called Mukondokua, without crossing a single
hill all the way; I therefore sent three men to see if they had any
porters to spare, as it was said they had; but the three men, although
they left their bows and arrows behind, never came back.

Another mule died to-day. This was perplexing indeed, but to stop longer
was useless; so we pushed forward as best we could to a pond at the
western end of the district where we found a party of Makua sportsmen
who had just killed an elephant. They had lived in Ugogo one year and
a half, and had killed in all seventeen elephants; half the tusks of
which, as well as some portion of the flesh, they gave to Magomba for
the privilege of residing there. There were many antelopes there, some
of which both Grant and I shot for the good of the pot, and he also
killed a crocute hyena. From the pond we went on to the middle of a
large jungle, and bivouacked for the night in a shower of rain, the
second of the season.

During a fierce downpour of rain, the porters all quivering and quaking
with cold, we at length emerged from the jungle, and entered the
prettiest spot in Ugogo--the populous district of Usekhe--where little
hills and huge columns of granite crop out. Here we halted.

Next day came the hongo business, which was settled by paying one
dubani, one kitambi, one msutu, four yards merikani, and two yards
kiniki; but whilst we were doing it eight porters ran away, and four
fresh ones were engaged (Wanyamuezi) who had r