hese
loads to Kaze in the land of the Moon. Competition, I found, had raised
these men's wages, for I had to pay, to go even as far as Kaze, nine and
a quarter dollars a-head!--as Masudi and some other merchants were bound
on the same line as myself, and all were equally in a hurry to be off
and avoid as much as possible the famine we knew we should have to fight
through at this late season. Little troubles, of course, must always be
expected, else these blacks would not be true negroes. Sheikh Said now
reported it quite impossible to buy anything at a moderate rate; for, as
I was a "big man," I ought to "pay a big price;" and my men had all been
obliged to fight in the bazaar before they could get even tobacco at the
same rate as other men, because they were the servants of the big man,
who could afford to give higher wages than any one else. The Hottentots,
too, began to fall sick, which my Wanguana laughingly attributed to want
of grog to keep their spirits up, as these little creatures, the "Tots,"
had frequently at Zanzibar, after heavy potations, boasted to the more
sober free men, that they "were strong, because they could stand plenty
drink." The first step now taken was to pitch camp under large shady
mango-trees, and to instruct every man in his particular duty. At the
same time, the Wanguana, who had carbines, were obliged to be drilled
in their use and formed into companies, with captains of ten, headed by
General Baraka, who was made commander-in-chief.

On the 30th September, as things were looking more orderly, I sent
forward half of the property, and all the men I had then collected, to
Ugeni, a shamba, or garden, two miles off; and on the 2nd October, after
settling with Ladha for my "African money," as my pagazis were completed
to a hundred and one, we wished Rigby adieu, and all assembled together
at Ugeni, which resembles the richest parts of Bengal.

Chapter II. Uzaramo

The Nature of the Country--The Order of March--The Beginning of
our Taxation--Sultan Lion's Claw, and Sultan Monkey's Tail--The
Kingani--Jealousies and Difficulties in the Camp--The Murderer of M.
Maizan.

We were now in U-za-Ramo, which may mean the country of Ramo, though I
have never found any natives who could enlighten me on the derivation of
this obviously triple word. The extent of the country, roughly speaking,
stretches from the coast to the junction or bifurcation of the Kingani
and its upper branch the Mgeta