Some seem to feel that their own importance in the community is enhanced by an imaginary connection with a discovery or discoverer of the Nile sources, and are only too happy to figure, if only in a minor part, as theoretical discoverers—­a theoretical discovery being a contradiction in terms.

The cross has been used—­not as a Christian emblem certainly, but from time immemorial as the form in which the copper ingot of Katanga is moulded—­this is met with quite commonly, and is called Handiple Mahandi.  Our capital letter I (called Vigera) is the large form of the bars of copper, each about 60 or 70 lbs. weight, seen all over Central Africa and from Katanga.

19th April, 1872.—­A roll of letters and newspapers, apparently, came to-day for Mr. Stanley.  The messenger says he passed Mr. Stanley on the way, who said, “Take this to the Doctor;” this is erroneous.  The Prince of Wales is reported to be dying of typhoid fever:  the Princess Louise has hastened to his bedside.

20th April, 1872.—­Opened it on 20th, and found nine ’New York Heralds’ of December 1-9, 1871, and one letter for Mr. Stanley, which.  I shall forward, and one stick of tobacco.

21st April, 1872.—­Tarred the tent presented by Mr. Stanley.

23rd April, 1872.—­Visited Kwikuru, and saw the chief of all the Banyamwezi (around whose Boma it is), about sixty years old, and partially paralytic.  He told me that he had gone as far as Katanga by the same Fipa route I now propose to take, when a little boy following his father, who was a great trader.

The name Banyamwezi arose from an ivory ornament of the shape of the new moon hung to the neck, with a horn reaching round over either shoulder.  They believe that they came from the sea-coast, Mombas (?) of old, and when people inquired for them they said, “We mean the men of the moon ornament.”  It is very popular even now, and a large amount of ivory is cut down in its manufacture; some are made of the curved tusks of hippopotami.  The Banyamwezi have turned out good porters, and they do most of the carrying work of the trade to and from the East Coast; they are strong and trustworthy.  One I saw carried six frasilahs, or 200 lbs., of ivory from Unyanyembe to the sea-coast.

The prefix “Nya” in Nyamwezi seems to mean place or locality, as Mya does on the Zambesi.  If the name referred to the “moon ornament,” as the people believe, the name would be Ba or Wamwezi, but Banyamwezi means probably the Ba—­they or people—­Nya, place—­Mwezi, moon, people of the moon locality or moon-land.

Unyanyembe, place of hoes.

Unyambewa.

Unyangoma, place of drums.

Nyangurue, place of pigs.

Nyangkondo.

Nyarukwe.

It must be a sore affliction to be bereft of one’s reason, and the more so if the insanity takes the form of uttering thoughts which in a sound state we drive from us as impure.