Presuming This To Be A Very Fair Proposition, And Thinking
We Would Only Have To Walk Across An Elbow Of Land Where The
River Bends Considerably, We Gave Him A Return-Present Of Beads,
And Did As We Were Bid; But, After Moving, It Was Obvious We Had
Been Sold.
We had lost our former boats, and no others were near
us; therefore, feeling angry with Yaragonjo, I walked
Back to his
palace, taking the presented goat with me, as I knew that would
touch the savage in the most tender part; then flaring up with
the officer for treating the king's orders with contempt, as well
as his guests, by sending us into the jungles like a pack of
thieves, whose riddance from his presence was obviously his only
intent, I gave him his goat again, and said I would have nothing
more to say to him, for I should look to the king for redress.
This frightened him to such an extent that he immediately
produced another and finer goat, which he begged me to accept,
promising to convey all my traps to the next governor's, where
there would be no doubt about our getting boats. He did not
intend to deceive us, but committed an error in not informing us
he had no boats of his own; and, to show his earnestness,
accompanied us to the camp. Here I found the missing calf taken
at Koki, and a large deputation of natives awaiting our arrival.
They told me that the Koki governor had taken such fright in
consequence of my anger when I refused his proffered goat, that
he had traced the calf back to Kitwara, and now wished to take
Kidgwiga a prisoner to Kamrasi's for having seized five cows of
his, and a woman from another governor. As yet I had not heard of
this piece of rough justice; and, on inquiry, found out that he
had been compelled to do as he had done, because those officers,
on finding we had gone ahead in boats would not produce the
complement of men required of them by the king's orders for
escorting us to Gani; but now they sent the men, the woman and
cows could not be returned, as they had been sent overland by the
ordinary route to the ferry on the Nile.
Of course we would not listen to this reference for justice with
Kamrasi, as the woman and cows were still all alive; commended
Kidgwiga for carrying out his orders so well, and told the
officers they had merited their punishment - as how could the
affairs of government be carried on, when subordinate officers
refused immediate compliance? The submkungu of Northern Gueni,
Kasoro, now proffered a goat and plantains, and everything was
settled for the day.
With a full complement of porters, travelling six miles through
cultivation and jungle, we reached the headquarters of governor
Kaeru, where all the porters threw down their loads and bolted,
though we were still two miles from the post.
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