elevated flats and terraces, which, in the rainy season, throw
off their surplus waters to the north and south by nullahs into
these rivers. The country is uniformly well covered with trees
and large grasses, which, in the rainy season, are too thick,
tall, and green to be pleasant; though in the dry season, after
the grasses have been burnt, it is agreeable enough, though not
pretty, owing to the flatness of the land. The villages are not
large or numerous, but widely spread, consisting generally of
conical grass huts, while others are gable-ended, after the
coast-fashion--a small collection of ten or twenty comprising one
village. Over these villages certain headmen, titled Phanze,
hold jurisdiction, who take black-mail from travellers with high
presumption when they can. Generally speaking, they live upon
the coast, and call themselves Diwans, headsmen, and subjects of
the Sultan Majid; but they no sooner hear of the march of a
caravan than they transpose their position, become sultans in
their own right, and levy taxes accordingly.

The Wazaramo are strictly agriculturists; they have no cows, and
but few goats. They are of low stature and thick set and their
nature tends to the boisterous. Expert slavehunters, they mostly
clothe themselves by the sale of their victims on the coast,
though they do business by the sale of goats and grain as well.
Nowhere in the interior are natives so well clad as these
creatures. In dressing up their hair, and otherwise smearing
their bodies with ochreish clay, they are great dandies. They
always keep their bows and arrows, which form their national arm,
in excellent order, the latter well poisoned, and carried in
quivers nicely carved. To intimidate a caravan and extort a hongo
or tax, I have seen them drawn out in line as if prepared for