There Was
No Such Thing As Haggling With Him; You Must Pay And Be Off At
Once, Failing Which You Might Be Detained A Whole Month Before
There Would Be An Opportunity To Speak On The Subject Again.
Beads were then served out to all my men to be strung, a certain
quantity to every kambi or mess, and our work was progressing;
but next day we heard that Karambule was sick or feigning to be
so, and therefore had never gone to the palace at all.
On the
6th, provoked at last by the shameful manner in which we were
treated, I send word to him to say, if he did not go at once I
would go myself, and force my way in with my guns, for I could
not submit to being treated like a slave, stuck out here in the
jungle with nothing to do but shoot for specimens, or make
collections of rocks, etc. This brought on another row; for he
said both Virembo and Vikora had returned their hongos, and until
their tongues were quieted he could not speak to Suwarora.
To expedite matters (7th), as our daily consumption in camp was a
tax of itself, I gave these tormenting creatures one wire, one
pretty cloth, and five hundred necklaces of white beads, which
were no sooner accepted than Karambule, in the same way as Sirhid
had done, said it would be greatly to my advantage if I gave him
something worth having before he saw the Mkama. Only too glad to
being work I gave him a red blanket, called joho, and five
strings of mzizima beads, which were equal to fifty of the common
white.
8th and 9th. - All this time nothing but confusion reigned in
camp, khambi fighting against khambi. Both men and women got
drunk, whilst from outside we were tormented by the Wasui, both
men and women pertinaciously pressing into our hut, watching us
eat, and begging in the most shameless manner. They did not know
the word bakhshish, or present; but, as bad as the Egyptians,
they held our their hands, patted their bellies, and said
Kaniwani (my friend) until we were sick of the sound of that
word. Still it was impossible to dislike these simple creatures
altogether, they were such perfect children. If we threw water
at them to drive them away, they came back again, thinking it
fun.
Ten days now had elapsed since we came here, still nothing was
done (10th), as Karambule said, because Suwarora had been so
fully occupied collecting an army to punish an officer who had
refused to pay his taxes, had ignored his authority, and had set
himself us as king of the district he was appointed to
superintend. After this, at midnight, Karambule, in an excited
manner, said he had seen Suwarora, and it then was appointed
that, not he, but Virembo should take the royal hongo, as well as
the Wahinda, or princes' shares, the next morning - after which we
might go as fast as we liked, for Suwarora was so full occupied
with his army he could not see us this time.
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