I Said To Those Men,
I Thought He Was Ashamed To See Us, As He Had Robbed Us So After
Inviting Us Into The Country, Else He Was Too Superstitious, For
He Ought At Least To Have Given Us A Place In His Palace.
They
both rebutted the insinuation; and, to change the subject,
commenced levying the remaining dues to the princes, which ended
by my giving thirty-four wires and six pretty cloths in a lump.
Early in the morning we were on foot again, only too thankful to
have got off so cheaply. Then men were appointed as guides and
protectors, to look after us as far as the border. What an
honour! We had come into the country drawn there by a combination
of pride and avarice and now we were leaving it in hot haste
under the guidance of an escort of officers, who were in reality
appointed to watch us as dangerous wizards and objects of terror.
It was all the same to us, as we now only thought of the prospect
of relief before us, and laughed at what we had gone through.
Rising out of the Uthungu valley, we walked over rolling ground,
drained in the dips by miry rush rivulets. The population was
thinly scattered in small groups of grass huts, where the scrub
jungle had been cleared away. On the road we passed cairns, to
which every passer-by contributed a stone. Of the origin of the
cairns I could not gain any information, though it struck me as
curious I should find them in the first country we had entered
governed by the Wahuma, as I formerly saw the same thing in the
Somali country, which doubtless, in earlier days, was governed by
a branch of the Abyssinians. Arrived at our camping, we were
immediately pounced upon by a deputation of officers, who said
they had been sent by Semamba, the officer of this district. He
lived ten miles from the road; but hearing of our approach, he
had sent these men to take his dues. At first I objected to pay,
lest he should afterwards treat me as Virembo had done; but I
gave way in the end, and paid nine wires, two chintz and two
bindera cloths, as the guides said they would stand my security
against any further molestation.
Rattling on again as merry as larks, over the same red sandstone
formation, we entered a fine forest, and trended on through it as
a stiff pace until we arrived at the head of a deep valley called
Lohuati, which was so beautiful we instinctively pulled up to
admire it. Deep down its well-wooded side below us was a stream,
of most inviting aspect for a trout-fisher, flowing towards the
N'yanza. Just beyond it the valley was clothed with fine trees
and luxuriant vegetation of all descriptions, amongst which was
conspicuous the pretty pandana palm, and rich gardens of
plantains; whilst thistles of extraordinary size and wild indigo
were the more common weeds.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 134 of 403
Words from 69755 to 70261
of 210958