I Brought Them To At
Last By Starvation, And Then We Went On.
Dipping down into a
valley between two clusters of granitic hills, beautifully
clothed with trees and grass, studded here and there with rich
plantations, we entered the district of Usagari, and on the
second day forded the Gombe nullah again - in its upper course,
called Kuale.
Rising again up to the main level of the plantation, we walked
into the boma of the chief of Unyambewa, Singinya, whose wife was
my old friend the late sultana Ungugu's lady's-maid. Immediately
on our entering her palace, she came forward to meet me with the
most affable air of a princess, begged I would always come to her
as I did then, and sought to make every one happy and
comfortable. Her old mistress, she said, died well stricken in
years; and, as she had succeeded her, the people of her country
invited Singinya to marry her, because feuds had arisen about the
rights of succession; and it was better a prince, whom they
thought best suited by birth and good qualities, should head
their warriors, and keep all in order. At that moment Singinya
was out in the field fighting his enemies; and she was sure, when
he heard I was here, that he would be very sorry he had missed
seeing me.
We next went on to the district of Ukumbi, and put up in a
village there, on approaching which all the villagers turned out
to resist us, supposing we were an old enemy of theirs.
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