came to my camp and began to chaffer; they wished to see the bales first, before they would make a final bargain.  They tried to raise them up—­ugh! ugh! it was of no use, and withdrew.  A fine Salter’s spring balance was hung up, and a bale suspended to the hook; the finger indicated 105 lbs. or 3 frasilah, which was just 35 lbs. or one frasilah overweight.  Upon putting all the bales to this test, I perceived that Jetta’s guess-work, with all his experience, had caused considerable trouble to me.

The soldiers were set to work to reopen and repack, which latter task is performed in the following manner:—­We cut a doti, or four yards of Merikani, ordinarily sold at Zanzibar for $2.75 the piece of thirty yards, and spread out.  We take a piece or bolt of good Merikani, and instead of the double fold given it by the Nashua and Salem mills, we fold it into three parts, by which the folds have a breadth of a foot; this piece forms the first layer, and will weigh nine pounds; the second layer consists of six pieces of Kaniki, a blue stuff similar to the blouse stuff of France, and th blue jeans of America, though much lighter; the third layer is formed of the second piece of Merikani, the fourth of six more pieces of Kaniki, the fifth of Merikani, the sixth of Kaniki as before, and the seventh and last of Merikani.  We have thus four pieces of Merikani, which weigh 36 lbs., and 18 pieces of Kaniki weighing also 36 lbs., making a total of 72 lbs., or a little more than two frasilahs; the cloth is then folded singly over these layers, each corner tied to another.  A bundle of coir-rope is then brought, and two men, provided with a wooden mallet for beating and pressing the bale, proceed to tie it up with as much nicety as sailors serve down rigging.

When complete, a bale is a solid mass three feet and a half long, a foot deep, and a foot wide.  Of these bales I had to convey eighty-two to Unyanyembe, forty of which consisted solely of the Merikani and Kaniki.  The other forty-two contained the Merikani and coloured cloths, which latter were to serve as honga or tribute cloths, and to engage another set of pagazis from Unyanyembe to Ujiji, and from Ujiji to the regions beyond.

The fifteenth day asked of me by Ali bin Salim for the procuring of the pagazis passed by, and there was not the ghost of a pagazi in my camp.  I sent Mabruki the Bullheaded to Ali bin Salim, to convey my salaams and express a hope that he had kept his word.  In half an hour’s time Mabruki returned with the reply of the Arab, that in a few days he would be able to collect them all; but, added Mabruki, slyly, “Bana, I don’t believe him.  He said aloud to himself, in my hearing, `Why should I get the Musungu pagazis?  Seyd Burghash did not send a letter to me, but to the Jemadar.  Why should I trouble myself about him?  Let Seyd Burghash write me a letter to that purpose, and I will procure them within two days."’

To my mind this was a time for action:  Ali bin Salim should see that it was ill trifling with a white man in earnest to start.  I rode down to his house to ask him what he meant.