Rionga's Men Then Departed, And
Mahamed Showed Some Signs Of Getting Ready By Ordering One Dozen
Cows To Be Killed,
The flesh of which was to be divided amongst
those villagers who would carry his ivory, and the skins to
Be
cut into thongs for binding the smaller tusks of ivory together
in suitable loads.
4th and 5th. - Another specimen of Turkish barbarity came under my
notice, in the head man of a village bringing a large tusk of
ivory to Mahamed, to ransom his daughter with; for she had been
seized as a slave on his last expedition, in common with others
who could not run away fast enough to save themselves from the
Turks. Fortunately for both, it was thought necessary for the
Turks to keep on good terms with the father as an influential
man; and therefore, on receiving the tusk, Mahamed gave back the
girl, and added a cow to seal their friendship.
6th to 10th. - I saw this land-pirate Mahamed take a blackmail
like a negro chief. Some men who had fled from their village
when Mahamed's plundering party passed by them the other day,
surprised that he did not stop to sack their homes, now brought
ten large tusks of ivory to him to express the gratitude they
said they felt for his not having molested them. Mahamed, on
finding how easy it was to get taxes in this fashion, instead of
thanking them, assumed the air of the great potentate, whose
clemency was abused, and told the poor creatures that, though
they had done well in seeking his friendship, they had not
sufficiently considered his dignity, else they would have brought
double that number of tusks, for it was impossible he could be
satisfied at so low a price. "What," said these poor creatures,
"can we do then? for this is all we have got." "Oh," says
Mahamed, "if it is all you have got now in store, I will take
these few for the present; but when I return from Gondokoro, I
expect you will bring me just as many more. Good-bye, and look
out for yourselves."
Tired beyond all measure with Mahamed's procrastination, as I
could not get him to start, I now started myself, much to his
disgust, and went ahead again, leaving word that I would wait for
him at the next place, provided he did not delay more than one
day. The march led us over long rolling downs of grass, where we
saw a good many antelopes feeding; and after going ten miles, we
came, among other villages, to one named Panyoro, in which we
found it convenient to put up. At first all the villagers,
thinking us Turks, bolted away with their cattle and what stores
they could carry; but, after finding out who we were, they
returned again, and gave us a good reception, helping us to rig
up a shed with grass, and bringing a cow and some milk for our
dinner.
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