Seeing This, The Pagazis
Cried Out With One Accord:
"The master is gone, leaving the
responsibility of his property in our hands; let us follow, let
us follow, for verily he is our father;" and all came hurrying
after us.
Here the river, again making a bend, is lost to sight,
and we marched through large woods and cultivated fields to
Muhugue, observing, as we passed long, the ochreish colour of the
earth, and numerous pits which the copal-diggers had made
searching for their much-valued gum. A large coast-bound
caravan, carrying ivory tusks with double-toned bells suspended
to them, ting-tonging as they moved along, was met on the way;
and as some of the pagazis composing it were men who had formerly
taken me to the Victoria N'yanza, warm recognitions passed
between us. The water found here turned our brandy and tea as
black as ink. The chief, being a man of small pretensions, took
only one sahari and four yards merikani.
Instead of going on to the next village we halted in this jungly
place for the day, that I might comply with the desire of the
Royal Geographical Society to inspect Muhonyera, and report if
there were really any indications of a "raised sea-beach" there,
such as their maps indicate. An inspection brought me to the
conclusion that no mind but one prone to discovering sea-beaches
in the most unlikely places could have supposed for a moment that
one existed here.
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