- "They Build Their Huts And Keep
Their Gardens Just As Well As We Do At Unguja, With Screens And
Enclosures For Privacy, A Clearance In Front Of Their
Establishments, And A Baraza Or Reception-Hut Facing The
Buildings.
Then, too, what a beautiful prospect it has!
- Rich
marshy plains studded with mounds, on each of which grow the
umbrella cactus, or some other evergreen tree; and beyond, again,
another hill-spur such as the one we have crossed over." One of
king Mtesa's uncles, who had not been burnt to death by the order
of the late king Sunna on his ascension to the throne, was the
proprietor of this place, but unfortunately he was from home.
However, his substitute gave me his baraza to live in, and
brought many presents of goats, fowls, sweet potatoes, yams,
plantains, sugarcane, and Indian corn, and apologised in the end
for deficiency in hospitality. I, of course, gave him beads in
return.
Continuing over the same kind of ground in the next succeeding
spurs of the streaky red-clay sandstone hills, we put up at the
residence of Isamgevi, a Mkungu or district officer of
Rumanika's. His residence was as well kept as Mtesa's uncle's;
but instead of a baraza fronting his house, he had a small
enclosure, with three small huts in it, kept apart for devotional
purposes, or to propitiate the evil spirits - in short, according
to the notions of the place, a church. This officer gave me a
cow and some plantains, and I in return gave him a wire and some
beads.
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