If I Chose To Lose My Life, It Was No Business Of Theirs, But
They Would Not Be Witness To It.
They all wanted their discharge
at once; they would not run away, but must have a letter of
satisfaction, and then they would go back to their homes at
Zanzibar.
But when they found they lost all their arguments and
could not move me, they said they would go back for Grant, but
when they had done that duty, then they would take their leave.
10th to 15th. - This business being at last settled, I wrote to
Grant on the subject, and sent all the men off who were not sick.
Thinking then how I could best cure the disease that was keeping
me down, as I found the blister of no use, I tried to stick a
packing needle, used as a seton, into my side; but finding it was
not sharp enough, in such weak hands a mine, to go through my
skin, I got Baraka to try; and he failing too, I then made him
fire me, for the coughing was so incessant I could get no sleep
at night. I had now nothing whatever to think of but making
dodges for lying easy, and for relieving my pains, or else for
cooking strong broths to give me strength, for my legs were
reduced to the appearance of pipe-sticks, until the 15th, when
Baraka, in the same doleful manner as in Sorombo, came to me and
said he had something to communicate, which was so terrible, if I
heard it I should give up the march. Lumeresi was his authority,
but he would not tell it until Grant arrive. I said to him, "Let
us wait till Grant arrives; we shall then have some one with us
who won't shrink from whispers" - meaning Bombay; and so I let the
matter drop for the time being. But when Grant came, we had it
out of him, and found this terrible mystery all hung on
Lumeresi's prognostications that we never should get through Usui
with so little cloth.
16th to 19th. - At night, I had such a terrible air-catching fit,
and made such a noise whilst trying to fill my lungs, that it
alarmed all the camp, so much so that my men rushed into my tent
to see if I was dying. Lumeresi, in the morning, then went on a
visiting excursion into the district, but no sooner left than the
chief of Isamiro, whose place lies close to the N'yanza, came
here to visit him (17th); but after waiting a day to make friends
with me, he departed (18th), as I heard afterwards, to tell his
great Mhuma chief, Rohinda, the ruler of Ukhanga, to which
district this state of Bogue belongs, what sort of presents I had
given to Lumeresi. He was, in fact, a spy whom Rohinda had sent
to ascertain what exactions had been made from me, as he, being
the great chief, was entitled to the most of them himself. On
Lumeresi's return, all the men of the village, as well as mine,
set up a dance, beating the drums all day and all night.
20th to 21st. - Next night they had to beat their drums for a very
different purpose, as the Watuta, after lifting all of Makaka's
cattle in Sorombo, came hovering about, and declared they would
never cease fighting until they had lifted all those that
Lumeresi harboured round his boma; for it so happened that
Lumeresi allowed a large party of Watosi, alias Wahuma, to keep
their cattle in large stalls all round his boma, and these the
Watuta had now set their hearts upon. After a little reflection,
however, they thought better of it, as they were afraid to come
in at once on account of my guns.
Most gladdening news this day came in to cheer me. A large mixed
caravan of Arabs and coast-men, arriving from Karague, announced
that both Rumanika and Suwarora were anxiously looking out for
us, wondering why we did not come. So great, indeed, was
Suwarora's desire to see us, that he had sent four men to invite
us, and they would have been here now, only that one of them fell
sick on the way, and the rest had to stop for him. I cannot say
what pleasure this gave me; my fortune, I thought, was made; and
so I told Baraka, and pretended he did not believe the news to be
true. Without loss of time I wrote off to Grant, and got these
men to carry the letter.
Next day (22d) the Wasui from Suwarora arrived. They were a very
gentle, nice-dispositioned-looking set of men - small, but well
knit together. They advanced to my tent with much seeming grace;
then knelt at my feet, and began clapping their hands together,
saying, at the same time, "My great chief, my great chief, I hope
you are well; for Suwarora, having heard of your detention here,
has sent us over to assure you that all those reports that have
been circulated regarding his ill-treatment of caravans are
without foundation; he is sorry for what has happened to deter
your march, and hopes you will at once come to visit him." I
then told them all that had happened - how Grant and myself were
situated - and begged them to assist me by going off to Grant's
camp to inspire all the men there with confidence, and bring my
rear property to me - saying, as they agreed to do so, "Here are
some cloths and some beads for your expenses, and when you return
I will give you more." Baraka at once, seeing this, told me they
were not trustworthy, for at Mihambo an old man had come there
and tried to inveigle him in the same manner, but he kicked him
out of the camp, because he knew he was a touter, who wished
merely to allure him with sweet words to fleece him afterwards.
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