I Now Sent Six Wires More, And Said This Was The
Last I Could Give - They Were Worth So Many
Goats to me - and now
by giving them away, I should have to live on grain like a poor
man,
Though I was a prince in my own country, just like Suwarora.
Surely Suwarora could not permit this if he knew it; and if they
would not suffice, I should have to stop here until called again
by Suwarora. The ruffian, on hearing this, allowed the wires to
lie in his hut, and said he was going away, but hoped, when he
returned, I should have, as I had got no cloths, 20 wires, and
1000 necklaces of extra length, strung and all ready for him.
Just then Bombay returned flushed with the excitement of a great
success. He had been in Masudi's camp, and had delivered my
message to Insangez. Asudi, he said, had been there a fortnight
unable to settle his hongo, for the great Mkama had not deigned
to see him, though the Arab had been daily to his palace
requesting an interview. "Well," I said, "that is all very
interesting, but what next? - will the big king see us?" "O no;
by the very best good fortune in the world, on going into the
palace I saw Suwarora, and spoke to him at once; but he was so
tremendously drunk, he could not understand me." "What luck was
there in that?" I asked. On which Bombay said, "Oh, everybody in
the place congratulated me on my success in having obtained an
interview with that great monarch the very first day, when Arabs
had seldom that privilege under one full month of squatting; even
Masudi had not yet seen him." To which Nasib also added, "Ah,
yes - indeed it is so - a monstrous success; there is great
ceremony as well as business at these courts; you will better see
what I mean when you get to Uganda. These Wahuma kings are not
like those you ever saw in Unyamuezi or anywhere else; they have
officers and soldiers like Said Majid, the Sultan at Zanzibar."
"Well," said I to Bombay, "what was Suwarora like?" "Oh, he is a
very fine man - just as tall, and in the face very like Grant; in
fact, if Grant were black you would not know the difference."
"And were his officers drunk too?" "O yes, they were all drunk
together; men were bringing in pombe all day." "And did you get
drunk?" "O yes," said Bombay, grinning, and showing his whole
row of sharp-pointed teeth, "they WOULD make me drink; and then
they showed me the place they assigned for your camp when you
come over there. It was not in the palace, but outside, without
a tree near it; anything but a nice-looking residence." I then
sent Bombay to work at the hongo business; but, after haggling
till night with Kariwami, he was told he must bring fourteen
brass wires, two cloths, and five mukhnai of kanyera, or white
porcelain beads - which, reduced, amounted to three hundred
necklaces; else he said I might stop there for a month.
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