Their Habitat Extends From This To The Asua River, Whilst The
Madi Occupy All The Country West Of This Meridian To The Nile,
Which Is Far Beyond Sight.
The villages are composed of little
conical huts of grass, on a framework of bamboo raised above low
mud walls.
There are no sultans here of any consequence, each
village appointing its own chief. The granitic hills, like those
of Unyamuezi, are extremely pretty, and clad with trees,
contrasting strangely with the grassy downs of indefinite extend
around, which give the place, when compared with the people, the
appearance of a paradise within the infernal regions. From the
site of Koki we saw the hills behind which, according to Bombay,
Petherick was situated with his vessels; and we also saw a nearer
hill, behind which his advanced post of elephant-hunters were
waiting our arrival.
I tried to ascertain if there were any prefixes, as in the South
African dialects, by which one might determine the difference
between the people and the country; but I was assured that both
here and in the adjacent countries these people saw Chopi, Kidi,
Gani, Madi, Bari, alike for person and place, though Jo in their
language is the equivalent for Wa in South Africa, and Dano takes
the place of Mtu. All the words and system of language were
wholly changed - as for example, Poko poko wingi bongo, means "we
do not understand"; Mazi, "fire"; Pi, "water"; Pe, "there is
none; Bugra, "cow." In sound, the language of these people
resembles that of the Tibet Tartars. Chongi considers himself
the greatest man in the country, and of noble descent, his great-
grandfather having been a Mhuma, born at Ururi, in Unyoro, and
appointed by the then reigning king to rule over this country,
and keep the Kidi people in check.
30th. - We halted at the earnest solicitation of Chongi, as well
as of the Chopi porters, who said they required a day to lay in
grain, as the Wichwezi, or mendicant sorcerers - for so they
thought fit to designate Petherick's elephant-hunters - had eaten
up the country all about them, and those who went before with
Bombay to visit their camp could get no food.
1st. - We halted again at the request of all parties, and much to
the delight of old Chongi, who supplied us with abundant pombe,
promised a cow, that we should not be put to any extra expense by
stopping, and said that without fail he would furnish us with
guides who knew a short cut across country, by which we might
reach the Wichwesi camp in one march, instead of going by the
circuitous route which Bombay formerly took. The cow, however,
never came, as the old man did not intend to give his own, and
his officers refused to obey his orders in giving one of theirs.
We left Koki with difficulty, in consequence of the Chopi porters
refusing to carry any loads, leaving the burden of lifting them
on the country people, as they said, "We have endured all the
trouble and hardships of bringing these visitors through the
wilderness; and now, as they have visited you, it is your place
to help them on." The consequence was, we had to engage fresh
porters at every village, each in turn saying he had done all the
work which with justice fell to his lot, till at last we arrived
at the borders of a jungle, where the men last engaged, feeling
tired of their work, pleaded ignorance of the direct road, and
turned off to the longer one, where villages and men were in
abundance, thus upsetting all our plans, and doubling the actual
distance.
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