They Went About In Procession, Painted And Adorned In The
Most Grotesque Fashion, Bewailing And Screeching, Singing And
Dancing, Throwing
Their arms and legs about as if they were
drunk, until the evening set in, when they gathered a huge
Bundle
of bulrushes, and, covering it with a cloth, carried it up to the
door of the bereaved on their shoulders, as though it had been a
coffin. Then setting it down on the ground, they planted some of
the rushes on either side of the entrance, and all kneeling
together, set to bewailing, shrieking, and howling incessantly
for hours together.
After this (10th to 12th), to my great relief, quite
unexpectedly, a man arrived from Usui conveying a present of some
ivories from a great mganga or magician, named Dr K'yengo, who
had sent them to Musa as a recollection from an old friend,
begging at the same time for some pretty cloths, as he said he
was then engaged as mtongi or caravan director, collecting
together all the native caravans desirous of making a grand march
to Uganda. This seemed to me a heaven-born opportunity of making
friends with one who could help me so materially, and I begged
Musa to seal it by sending him something on my account, as I had
nothing by me; but Musa objected, thinking it better simply to
say I was coming, and if he, K'yengo, would assist me in Usui, I
would then give him some cloths as he wanted; otherwise, Musa
said, the man who had to convey it would in all probability make
away with it, and then do his best to prevent my seeing K'yengo.
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