Eight Or Ten Shillings' Worth Gave
Abundant Satisfaction To The Greediest; But This Is To Be Understood
As The Prime Cost Of The Articles, And A Trader Would Sometimes Have
Estimated Similar Generosity As Equal To From 30 To 50 Pounds.
In
some cases the presents we gave exceeded the value of what was
received in return; in others the excess of generosity was on the
native side.
We never asked for leave to pass through the country; we simply told
where we were going, and asked for guides; if they were refused, or
if they demanded payment beforehand, we requested to be put into the
beginning of the path, and said that we were sorry we could not agree
about the guides, and usually they and we started together. Greater
care would be required on entering the Mazitu or Zulu country, for
there the Government extends over very large districts, while among
the Manganja each little district is independent of every other. The
people here have not adopted the exacting system of the Banyai, or of
the people whose country was traversed by Speke and Grant.
In our way back from Chinsamba's to Chembi's and from his village to
Nkwinda's, and thence to Katosa's, we only saw the people working in
their gardens, near to the stockades. These strongholds were
strengthened with branches of acacias, covered with strong hooked
thorns; and were all crowded with people. The air was now clearer
than when we went north, and we could see the hills of Kirk's Range
five or six miles to the west of our path.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 478 of 505
Words from 129224 to 129489
of 136856
