That Is Very Far,
He Must Come Nearer." Still I Could Not Say A Word, His
Fussiness And Self-Importance Overcoming His Inquisitiveness.
Rain now fell, and the king retired by one gate, whilst I was
shown out of another, until the shower was over.
As soon as the
sky was clear again, we returned to the little court, and this
time became more confidential, as he asked many questions about
England - such as, Whether the Queen knew anything about
medicines? Whether she kept a number of women as he did? and what
her palace was like? - which gave me an opportunity of saying I
would like to see his ships, for I heard they were very numerous-
-and also his menagerie, said to be full of wonderful animals.
He said the vessels were far off, but he would send for them; and
although he once kept a large number of animals, he killed them
all in practising with his guns. The Whitworth rifle was then
brought in for me to take to pieces and teach him the use of; and
then the chronometer. He then inquired if I would like to go
shooting? I said, "Yes, if he would accompany me - not
otherwise." "Hippopotami?" "Yes; there is great fun in that,
for they knock the boats over when they charge from below." "Can
you swim?" "Yes." "So can I. And would you like to shoot
buffalo?" "Yes, if you will go." "At night, then, I will send
my keepers to look out for them. Here is a leopard-car, with
white behind its ears, and a Ndezi porcupine of the short-quilled
kind, which my people eat with great relish; and if you are fond
of animals, I will give you any number of specimens, for my
keepers net and bring in live animals of every kind daily; for
the present, you can take this basket of porcupines home for your
dinner." My men n'yanzigged - the king walked away, giving orders
for another officer to follow up the first who went to Ukori, and
bring Petherick quickly - and I went home.
This was to be a day of varied success. When I arrived at my hut
I found a messenger sent by the queen, with a present of a goat,
called "fowls for Bana, my son," and a load of plantains, called
potatoes, waiting for me; so I gave the bearer fundo of mtende
beads, and told again the reasons why I had not been able to call
upon the queen, but I hoped to do so shortly, as the king had
promised me a house near at hand. I doubt, however, whether one
word of my message ever reached her. That she wanted me at her
palace was evident by the present, though she was either too
proud or too cautious to say so.
At night I overheard a chat between Sangizo, a Myamuezi, and
Ntalo, a freed man of Zanzibar, very characteristic of their way
of chaffing. Sangizo opened the battle by saying, "Ntalo, who
are you?" N. "A Mguana" (freed man). S. "A Mguana, indeed! then
where is your mother?" N. "She died at Anguja." S. "Your mother
died at Anguja! then where is your father?" N. "He died at
Anguja likewise." S. "Well, that is strange; and where are your
brothers and sister?" N. "They all died at Anguja." S. (then
changing the word Anguja for Anguza, says to Ntalo) "I think you
said your mother and father both died at Anguza, did you not?"
N. "Yes, at Anguza." S. "Then you had two mothers and two
fathers - one set died at Anguja, and the other set at Anguza; you
are a humbug; I don't believe you; you are no Mguana, but a slave
who has been snatched from his family, and does not know where
any of his family are. Ah! ah! ah!" And all the men of the camp
laugh together at the wretched Ntalo's defeat; but Ntalo won't be
done, so retorts by saying, "Sangizo, you may laugh at me because
I am an orphan, but what are you? you are a savage - a Mshezi; you
come from the Mashenzi, and you wear skins, not cloths, as men
do; so hold your impudent tongue"; - and the camp pealed with
merry boisterous laughter again.
9th. - Early in the morning, and whilst I was in bed, the king
sent his pages to request me to visit his royal mother, with some
specific for the itch, with which her majesty was then afflicted.
I said I could not go so far in the sun; I would wait till I
received the promised palace near her. In the meanwhile I
prepared to call on him. I observed, in fact, that I was an
object of jealousy between the two courts, and that, if I acted
skilfully and decidedly, I might become master of the situation,
and secure my darling object of a passage northwards. The boys
returned, bringing a pistol to be cleaned, and a message to say
it was no use my thinking of calling on the king - that I must go
to the queen immediately, for she was very ill. So far the queen
won the day, but I did not obtain my new residence, which I
considered the first step to accomplishing the greater object; I
therefore put the iron farther in the fire by saying I was no
man's slave, and I should not go until I got a house in the
palace - Bombay could teach the boys the way to clean the pistol.
The perk monkeys, however, turned up their noses at such menial
service, and Uledi was instructed in their stead.
10th. - To surprise the queen, and try another dodge, I called on
her with all my dining things and bedding, to make a day of it,
and sleep the night. She admitted me at once, when I gave her
quinine, on the proviso that I should stop there all day and
night to repeat the dose, and tell her the reason why I did not
come before.
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