While Respectfully Submitting The Plan
To These Influential Societies, I Can Positively State That,
When Fairly In The Interior, There Is Perfect Security For Life And Property
Among A People Who Will At Least Listen And Reason.
Eight of my men begged to be allowed to come as far as Kilimane, and,
thinking that they would there see the ocean, I consented to their coming,
though the food was so scarce in consequence of a dearth that they were
compelled to suffer some hunger.
They would fain have come farther; for when
Sekeletu parted with them, his orders were that none of them should turn
until they had reached Ma Robert and brought her back with them.
On my explaining the difficulty of crossing the sea, he said,
"Wherever you lead, they must follow." As I did not know well
how I should get home myself, I advised them to go back to Tete,
where food was abundant, and there await my return. I bought
a quantity of calico and brass wire with ten of the smaller tusks
which we had in our charge, and sent the former back as clothing
to those who remained at Tete. As there were still twenty tusks left,
I deposited them with Colonel Nunes, that, in the event of any thing happening
to prevent my return, the impression might not be produced in the country
that I had made away with Sekeletu's ivory. I instructed Colonel Nunes,
in case of my death, to sell the tusks and deliver the proceeds to my men;
but I intended, if my life should be prolonged, to purchase the goods
ordered by Sekeletu in England with my own money, and pay myself on my return
out of the price of the ivory.
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