To
This They Replied That The Majority Were Still At Kaze, All
Wishing For Peace At Any Price, And That Whatever Terms I Might
Wish To Dictate They Would Agree To.
Then I said, "What would you
do with Mkisiwa?
You have made him chief, and cannot throw him
over." "Oh, that," they said, "can be easily managed; for
formerly, when we confronted Manua Sera at Nguru, we offered to
give him as much territory as his father governed, though not
exactly in the same place; but he treated our message with
disdain, not knowing then what a fix he was in. Now, however, as
he has seen more, and wishes for peace himself, there can be no
difficulty." I then ordered two of my men to go with two of
Musa's to acquaint Manua Sera with what we were about, and to
know his views on the subject; but these men returned to say
Manua Sera could not be found, for he was driven from "pillar to
post" by the different native chiefs, as, wherever he went, his
army ate up their stores, and brought nothing but calamities with
them. Thus died this second attempted treaty. Musa then told me
it was well it turned out so; for Manua Sera would never believe
the Arabs, as they had broken faith so often before, even after
exchanging blood by cutting incision in one another's legs - the
most sacred bond or oath the natives know of.
As nothing more of importance was done, I set out with Grant to
have a week's shooting in the district, under the guidance of an
old friend, Fundi Sangoro, Musa's "head gamekeeper," who assured
me that the sable antelope and blanc boc, specimens of which I
had not yet seen, inhabited some low swampy place called N'yama,
or "Meat," not far distant, on the left bank of the Wale nullah.
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