Since that time Mgongo Tembo has been but blackened wrecks
of houses, and the fields a sprouting jungle.
A cluster of date palm-trees, overtopping a dense grove close to
the mtoni of Mgongo Tembo, revived my recollections of Egypt.
The banks of the stream, with their verdant foliage, presented
a strange contrast to the brown and dry appearance of the jungle
which lay on either side.
At 1 P.M. we resumed our loads and walking staffs, and in a short
time were en route for the Ngwhalah Mtoni, distant eight and
three-quarter miles from the khambi. The sun was hot; like a
globe of living, seething flame, it flared its heat full on our
heads; then as it descended towards the west, scorched the air
before it was inhaled by the lungs which craved it. Gourds of
water were emptied speedily to quench the fierce heat that
burned the throat and lungs. One pagazi, stricken heavily with the
small-pox, succumbed, and threw himself down on the roadside to die.
We never saw him afterwards, for the progress of a caravan on a
terekeza, is something like that of a ship in a hurricane. The
caravan must proceed - woe befall him who lags behind, for hunger
and thirst will overtake him - so must a ship drive before the
fierce gale to escape foundering - woe befall him who falls
overboard!
An abundance of water, good, sweet, and cool, was found in the bed
of the mtoni in deep stony reservoirs. Here also the traces of
furious torrents were clearly visible as at Mabunguru.
The Nghwhalah commences in Ubanarama to the north - a country
famous for its fine breed of donkeys - and after running south,
south-south-west, crosses the Unyanyembe road, from which point
it has more of a westerly turn.
On the 16th we arrived at Madedita, so called from a village which
was, but is now no more. Madedita is twelve and a half miles from
the Nghwhalah Mtoni. A pool of good water a few hundred yards from
the roadside is the only supply caravans can obtain, nearer than
Tura in Unyamwezi. The tsetse or chufwa-fly, as called by the
Wasawahili, stung us dreadfully, which is a sign that large game
visit the pool sometimes, but must not be mistaken for an indication
that there is any in the immediate neighbourhood of the water.
A single pool so often frequented by passing caravans, which must
of necessity halt here, could not be often visited by the animals
of the forest, who are shy in this part of Africa of the haunts
of man.
At dawn the neat day we were on the road striding at a quicker
pace than on most days, since we were about to quit Magunda Mali
for the more populated and better land of Unyamwezi. The forest
held its own for a wearisomely long time, but at the end of two
hours it thinned, then dwarfed into low jungle, and finally
vanished altogether, and we had arrived on the soil of Unyamwezi,
with a broad plain, swelling, subsiding, and receding in lengthy
and grand undulations in our front to one indefinite horizontal
line which purpled in the far distance. The view consisted of
fields of grain ripening, which followed the contour of the plain,
and which rustled merrily before the morning breeze that came
laden with the chills of Usagara.
At 8 A.M. we had arrived at the frontier village of Unyamwezi,
Eastern Tura, which we invaded without any regard to the
disposition of the few inhabitants who lived there. Here we
found Nondo, a runaway of Speke's, one of those who had sided
with Baraka against Bombay, who, desiring to engage himself with
me, was engaging enough to furnish honey and sherbet to his
former companions, and lastly to the pagazis. It was only a short
breathing pause we made here, having another hour's march to reach
Central Tura.
The road from Eastern Tura led through vast fields of millet,
Indian corn, holcus sorghum, maweri, or panicum, or bajri, as
called by the Arabs; gardens of sweet potatoes, large tracts of
cucumbers, water-melons, mush-melons, and pea-nuts which grew in
the deep furrows between the ridges of the holcus.
Some broad-leafed plantain plants were also seen in the
neighbourhood of the villages, which as we advanced became very
numerous. The villages of the Wakimbu are like those of the
Wagogo, square, flat-roofed, enclosing an open area, which is
sometimes divided into three or four parts by fences or matama
stalks.
At central Tura, where we encamped, we had evidence enough of
the rascality of the Wakimbu of Tura. Hamed, who, despite his
efforts to reach Unyanyembe in time to sell his cloths before other
Arabs came with cloth supplies, was unable to compel his pagazis
to the double march every day, was also encamped at Central Tura,
together with the Arab servants who preferred Hamed's imbecile
haste to Thani's cautious advance. Our first night in Unyamwezi
was very exciting indeed. The Musungu's camp was visited by two
crawling thieves, but they were soon made aware by the portentous
click of a trigger that the white man's camp was well guarded.
Hamed's camp was next visited; but here also the restlessness of
the owner frustrated their attempts, for he was pacing backwards
and forwards through his camp, with a loaded gun in his hand; and
the thieves were obliged to relinquish the chance of stealing any
of his bales. From Hamed's they proceeded to Hassan's camp (one
of the Arab servants), where they were successful enough to reach
and lay hold of a couple of bales; but, unfortunately, they made
a noise, which awoke the vigilant and quick-eared slave, who
snatched his loaded musket, and in a moment had shot one of them
through the heart.
