He Then Gave Way, And
Begged I Would Allow My Men To Fire A Volley Outside His Boma, As
The Watuta Were Living Behind A Small Line Of Granitic Hills
Flanking The West Of His District, And He Wished To Show Them
What A Powerful Force He Had Got With Him.
This was permitted;
but his wisdom in showing off was turned into ridicule; for the
same evening the Watuta
Made and attack on his villages and
killed three of his subjects, but were deterred from committing
further damage by coming in contact with my men, who, as soon as
they saw the Watuta fighting, fired their muskets off in the air
and drove them away, they themselves at the same time bolting
into my camp, and as usual vaunting their prowess.
I then ordered a march for the next morning, and went out in the
fields to take my regular observations for latitude. Whilst
engaged in this operation, Baraka, accompanied by Wadimoyo
(Heart's-stream), another of my freeman, approached me in great
consternation, whispering to themselves. They said they had some
fearful news to communicate, which, when I heard it, they knew
would deter our progress: it was of such great moment and
magnitude, they thought they could not deliver it then. I said,
"What nonsense! out with it at once. Are we such chickens that
we cannot speak about matters like men? out with it at once."
Then Baraka said, "I have just heard from Makaka, that a man who
arrived from Usui only a few minutes ago has said Suwarora is so
angry with the Arabs that he has detained one caravan of theirs
in his country, and, separating the whole of their men, has
placed each of them in different bomas, with orders to his
village officers that, in case the Watuta came into his country,
without further ceremony they were to be all put to death." I
said, "Oh, Baraka, how can you be such a fool?
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