region is the true home of the Negro. The women excited the
admiration of the Arabs. They have fine, small, well-formed
features: their great defect is one of fashion, which does not
extend to the next tribe; they file their teeth to points, the
hussies, and that makes their smile like that of the crocodile.

Nsama's country is called Itawa, and his principal town is in
lat. 8° 55' S., and long. 29° 21' E. From the large population
he had under him, Itawa is in many parts well cleared of trees
for cultivation, and it is lower than Ulungu, being generally
about 3000 feet above the sea. Long lines of tree-covered hills
raised some 600 or 700 feet above these valleys of denudation,
prevent the scenery from being monotonous. Large game is
abundant. Elephants, buffaloes, and zebras grazed in large
numbers on the long sloping, banks of a river called Chiséra, a
mile and a half broad. In going north we crossed this river, or
rather marsh, which is full of papyrus plants and reeds. Our
ford was an elephant's path; and the roots of the papyrus,
though a carpet to these animals, were sharp and sore to feet
usually protected by shoes, and often made us shrink and
flounder into holes chest deep. The Chiséra forms a larger marsh
west of this, and it gives off its water to the Kalongosi, a
feeder of Lake Moero.

The Arabs sent out men in all directions to purchase ivory; but
their victory over Nsama had created a panic among the tribes
which no verbal assurances could allay. If Nsama had been routed
by twenty Arab guns no one could stand before them but Casembe;
and Casembe had issued strict orders to his people not to allow
the Arabs who fought Nsama to enter his country. They did not