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.  Such were our experiences of the Wakimbu of Tura.

On the 18th the three caravans, Hamed’s, Hassan’s, and my own, left Tura by a road which zig-zagged towards all points through the tall matama fields.  In an hour’s time we had passed Tura Perro, or Western Tura, and had entered the forest again, whence the Wakimbu of Tura obtain their honey, and where they excavate deep traps for the elephants with which the forest is said to abound.  An hour’s march from Western Tura brought us to a ziwa, or pond.  There were two, situated in the midst of a small open mbuga, or plain, which, even at this late season, was yet soft from the water which overflows it during the rainy season.  After resting three hours, we started on the terekeza, or afternoon march.

It was one and the same forest that we had entered soon after leaving Western Tura, that we travelled through until we reached the Kwala Mtoni, or, as Burton has misnamed it on his map, “Kwale.”  The water of this mtoni is contained in large ponds, or deep depressions in the wide and crooked gully of Kwala.  In these ponds a species of mud-fish, was found, off one of which I made a meal, by no means to be despised by one who had not tasted fish since leaving Bagamoyo.  Probably, if I had my choice, being, when occasion demands it, rather fastidious in my tastes, I would not select the mud-fish.