The
Chief's Hut (I Do Not Think Him Worthy Of The Name Of King, Since
The Kingdom Is Divided In
Two) was three times as large as any of
the others, and stood by itself at the farther end; whilst
The
smaller huts, containing his officers and domestics, were
arranged in little groups within a circle, at certain distances
apart from one another, sufficient to allow of their stalling
their cattle at night.
On descending into the Uthungu valley, Grant, who was preceding
the men, found Makinga opposed to the progress of the caravan
until his dues were paid. He was a stranger like ourselves, and
was consequently treated with scorn, until he tried to maintain
what he called his right, by pulling the loads off my men's
shoulders, whereupon Grant cowed him into submission, and all
went on again - not to the palace, as we had supposed, but, by
the direction of the mace-bearers, to the huts of Suwarora's
commander-in-chief, two miles from the palace; and here we found
Masudi's camp also. We had no sooner formed camp for ourselves
and arranged all our loads, than the eternal Vikora, whom I
thought we had settled with before we started, made a claim for
some more wire, cloth, and beads, as he had not received as much
as Kariwani and Virembo. Of course I would not listen to this, as
I had paid what his men asked for, and that was enough for me.
Just then Masudi, with the other Arabs who were travelling with
him, came over to pay us a visit, and inquire what we thought of
the Usui taxes.
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