Feeling Much
Freer, We Now Went Over And Put Up In Pong's Palace, For We Had
To Halt There A Day To Collect More Porters, As Half My Men Had
Just Bolted.
This was by no means an easy job, for all my
American sheeting was out, and so was the kiniki.
Pongo then for
the first time showed himself, sneaking about with an escort,
hiding his head in a cloth lest our "evil eyes" might bewitch
him. Still he did us a good turn; for on the 16th he persuaded
his men to take service with us at the enormous hire of ten
necklaces of beads per man for every day's march - nearly ten
times what an Arab pays. Fowls were as plentiful here as
elsewhere, though the people only kept them to sell to
travellers, or else for cutting them open for diving purposes, by
inspection of their blood and bones.
From the frying pan we went into the fire in crossing from Ugombe
into the district of Wanga, where we beat up the chief,
N'yaruwamba, and at once went into the hongo business. He
offered a cow to commence with, which I would not accept until
the tax was paid, and then I made my offering of two wires, one
kitambi, and one kisutu. Badgering then commenced: I must add two
wires, and six makete or necklaces of mzizima beads, the latter
being due to the chief for negotiating the tax. When this
addition was paid, we should be freed by beat of drum.
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