The Commander-In-Chief Then
Told Me Kamrasi Did Not Wish Them To Accompany Me Through Kidi
For The Kidi People Don't Like The Waganda, And, Discovering
Their Nationality By The Fullness Of Their Teeth, Would Bring
Trouble On Us Whilst Trying To Kill Them.
I said I thanked
Kamrasi for his having treated the Waganda with such marked
respect, in allowing them to
See me, and sending them back with
an escort; but I thought it would have been better if he had
spoken the truth plainly out, for then I could have told them I
feared to have them in company with me. In return for my
civilities, the king then send one of his chopi officers to see
me, who went four stages with Bombay, and he also sent some rich
beads which he wished me to look at. They were nicely kept in a
neat though very large casing of rush pith, and were those sent
as a letter from Gani, to inform him that we were expected to
come via Karague. After this, to keep us in good-humour, Kamrasi
sent to inform us that some Gani men, twenty-five in number, had
just arrived, and had given him a lion-skin, several tippet
monkey-skins, and some giraffe hair, as well as a stick of copper
or brass wire. Bombay was met by them on the confines of Gani.
2d. - The king sent me a pot of pombe to-day, inquiring after my
health, and saying he would like to take the medicine I gave him
if I would send Frij over to administer it, but he would be
ashamed to swallow pills before me. Hitherto he had not been
able to take the medicine from press of business in collecting an
army to fight his brothers; but as his troops would all leave for
war to-day, he expected to have leisure.
In plying the Kamraviona to try if we could get rid of the
annoying restraints which made our residence here a sort of
imprisonment, I discovered that the whole affair was not one of
blunder or accident, but that we actually were prisoners thus be
design. It appeared that Kamrasi's brothers, when they heard we
were coming into Unyoro, murmured, and said to the king, "Why are
you bringing such guests amongst us, who will practise all kinds
of diabolical sorcery, and bring evil on us?" To which Kamrasi
replied, "I have invited them to come, and they shall come; and
if they bring evil with them, let that all fall on my shoulders,
for you shall not see them." He then built a palaver-house on
the banks of the Kafu to receive us in privately; and when we
were to go to Gani, it was his intention to slip us off privately
down the Kafu. The brothers were so thoroughly frightened, that
when Kamrasi opened his chronometer before them to show them the
works in motion, they turned their heads away. The large block-
tin box I gave Kamrasi, as part of his hongo, was, I heard,
called Mzungu, or the white man, by him.
In the evening the beads recently brought from Gani were sent for
my inspection, with an intimation that Kamrasi highly approved of
them, and would like me to give him a few like them. Some of
Kamrasi's spies, whom he had sent to the refractory allies of
Rionga his brother, returned bringing a spear and some grass from
the thatch of the hut of a Chopi chief. The removal of the grass
was a piece of state policy. It was stolen by Kamrasi's orders,
in order that he might spread a charm on the Chopi people, and
gain such an influence over them that their spears could not
prevail against the Wanyoro; but it was thought we might possess
some still superior magic powder, as we had come from such a long
distance, and Kamrasi would prefer to have ours. These Chopi
people were leagued with the brothers, and thus kept the highroad
to Gani, though the other half of Chopi remained loyal; and
though Kamrasi continually sent armies against the refractory
half which aided his brothers, they never retaliated by attacking
this place.
We found, by the way, that certain drumming and harmonious
accompaniments which we had been accustomed to hear all day and
night were to continue for four moons, in celebration of twins
born to Kamrasi since we came here.
3d. - Kamrasi's political department was active again to-day. Some
Gani officials arrived to inform him that there were two white
men in the vessel spoken of as at Gani; a second vessel was
coming in there, and several others were on their way. A
carnelian was shown me which the Gani people gave to Kamrasi many
years ago. Kamrasi expressed a wish that I would exchange magic
powders with him. He had a very large variety, and would load a
horn for me with all those I desired most. He wanted also
medicines for longevity and perpetual strength. Those I had
given him had, he said, deprived him of strength, and he felt
much reduced by their effects. He would like me to go with him
and attack the island his three brothers, Rionga, Wahitu, and
Pohuka, are in possession of. When I said I never fought with
black men, he wished to know if I would not shoot them if they
attacked me. My replay was, alluding to our fight in the river,
"How did N'yamyonjo's men fare?" I found that Kamrasi had thirty
brothers and as many sisters.
4th. - I gave Kamrasi a bottle of quinine, which we call "strong
back," and asked him in return for a horn containing all the
powders necessary to give me the gift of tongues, so that I
should be able to converse with any black men whom I might meet
with. We heard that Kamrasi has called all his Gani guests to
play before him, and a double shot from his Blissett rifle
announced to our ears that he in turn was amusing them.
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