The Chief, Unfortunately, Did Not Comply
At Once, But Begged Grace For One Night, Saying That If Manua
Sera Was Found There In The Morning They Might Do As They Liked.
Of course Manua bolted; and the Arabs, seeing the Tura people all
under arms ready to defend themselves the next morning, set at
them in earnest, and shot, murdered, or plundered the whole of
the district.
Then, whilst Arabs were sending in their captures
of women, children, and cattle, Manua Sera made off to a district
called Dara, where he formed an alliance with its chief, Kifunja,
and boasted he would attack Kaze as soon as the travelling season
commenced, when the place would be weakened by the dispersion of
the Arabs on their ivory excursions.
The startling news set the place in a blaze, and brought all the
Arabs again to seek my advice for they condemned what Snay had
done in not listening to me before, and wished to know if I could
not now treat for them with Manua Sera, which they thought could
be easily managed, as Manua Sera himself was not only the first
to propose mediation, but was actually on his way here for the
purpose when Snay opposed him. I said nothing could give me
greater pleasure than mediating for them, to put a stop to these
horrors, but it struck me the case had now gone too far. Snay,
in opposition to my advice, was bent on fighting; he could not be
recalled and unless all the Arabs were of one mind, I ran the
risk of committing myself to a position I could not maintain.
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