The Expedition, They Said, Had Been Defeated, And The
Positions Were So Complicated Nobody Knew What To Do.
At first
the Arabs achieved two brilliant successes, having succeeded in
killing Hori Hori of Khoko, when they recovered
Their ivory, made
slaves of all they could find, and took a vast number of cattle;
then attacking Usekhe they reduced that place to submission by
forcing a ransom out of its people. At this period, however,
they heard that a whole caravan, carrying 5000 dollars' worth of
property, had been cut up by the people of Mzanza, a small
district ten miles north of Usekhe; so, instead of going on to
Kanyenye to relieve the caravans which were waiting there for
them, they foolishly divided their forces into three parts. Of
these they sent one to take their loot back to Kaze, another to
form a reserve force at Mdaburu, on the east flank of the
wilderness, and a third, headed by Snay and Jafu, to attack
Mzanza. At the first onset Snay and Jafu carried everything
before them, and became so excited over the amount of their loot
that they lost all feelings of care or precaution.
In this high exuberance of spirits, a sudden surprise turned
their momentary triumph into a total defeat; for some Wahumba,
having heard the cries of the Wagogo, joined in their cause, and
both together fell on the Arab force with such impetuosity that
the former victors were now scattered in all directions. Those
who could run fast enough were saved - the rest were speared to
death by the natives. Nobody knew how Jafu fell; but Snay, after
running a short distance, called one of his slaves, and begged
him to take his gun, saying, "I am too old to keep up with you;
keep this gun for my sake, for I will lie down here and take my
chance." He never was seen again. But this was not all their
misfortunes; for the slaves who brought in this information had
met the first detachment, sent with the Khoko loot, at Kigua,
where, they said, the detachment had been surprised by Manua
Sera, who, having fortified a village with four hundred men,
expecting this sort of thing, rushed out upon them, and cut them
all up.
The Arabs, after the first burst of their grief was over, came to
me again in a body, and begged me to assist them, for they were
utterly undone. Manua Sera prevented their direct communication
with their detachment at Mdaburu, and that again was cut off from
their caravans at Kanyenye by the Mzanza people, and in fact all
the Wagogo; so they hoped at least I would not forsake them,
which they heard I was going to do, as Manua Sera had also
threatened to attack Kaze. I then told them, finally that their
proposals were now beyond my power, for I had a duty to perform
as well as themselves, and in a day or two I should be off.
14th to 17th. - On the 14th thirty-nine porters were brought in
from Rungua by Musa's men, who said they had collected one
hundred and twenty, and brought them to within ten miles of this,
when some travellers frightened all but thirty-nine away, by
telling them, "Are you such fools as to venture into Kaze now?
all the Arabs have been killed, or were being cut up and pursued
by Manua Sera." This sad disappointment threw me on my "beam-
ends." For some reason or other none of Musa's slaves would take
service, and the Arabs prevented theirs from leaving the place,
as it was already too short of hands. To do the best under these
circumstances, I determined on going to Rungua with what kit
could be carried, leaving Bombay behind with Musa until such time
as I should arrive there, and, finding more men, could send them
back for the rest. I then gave Musa the last of the gold watches
the Indian Government had given me;[FN#9] and, bidding Sheikh
Said take all our letters and specimens back to the coast as soon
as the road was found practicable, set out on the march
northwards with Grant and Baraka, and all the rest of my men who
were well enough to carry loads, as well as some of Musa's head
men, who knew where to get porters.
After passing Masange and Zimbili, we put up a night in the
village of Iviri, on the northern border of Unyanyembe, and found
several officers there, sent by Mkisiwa, to enforce a levy of
soldiers to take the field with the Arabs at Kaze against Manua
Sera; to effect which, they walked about ringing bells, and
bawling out that if a certain percentage of all the inhabitants
did not muster, the village chief would be seized, and their
plantations confiscated. My men all mutinied here for increase of
ration allowances. To find themselves food with, I had given
them all one necklace of beads each per diem since leaving Kaze,
in lieu of cloth, which hitherto had been served out for that
purpose. It was a very liberal allowance, because the Arabs
never gave more than one necklace to every three men, and that,
too, of inferior quality to what I served. I brought them to at
last by starvation, and then we went on. Dipping down into a
valley between two clusters of granitic hills, beautifully
clothed with trees and grass, studded here and there with rich
plantations, we entered the district of Usagari, and on the
second day forded the Gombe nullah again - in its upper course,
called Kuale.
Rising again up to the main level of the plantation, we walked
into the boma of the chief of Unyambewa, Singinya, whose wife was
my old friend the late sultana Ungugu's lady's-maid. Immediately
on our entering her palace, she came forward to meet me with the
most affable air of a princess, begged I would always come to her
as I did then, and sought to make every one happy and
comfortable.
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