Then With Regard To My Going, Kamrasi Must
Beg Us To Have Patience Until He Had Sent Messengers Into Kidi,
Requesting the natives there not to molest me on the way, for
they had threatened they would do so, and
If they persisted, he
would send us with a force by another route via Ugungu - another
attempt to draw us off to fight against his brothers.
I stormed at this announcement as a breach of faith; said I had
given the king my only tent, my only digester, my only saw, my
only wire, my only mosquito-curtains, and my last of everything,
because he had assured me I should have to pay no more chiefs,
and he would give me the road at once. If he did not intend now
to fulfil his promise, I begged he would take back his spears,
for I would only accept them as a farewell present. The
Kamraviona finding me rather warm, with the usual pertinacious
duplicity of a negro, then said, "Well, let that subject drop,
and consider the present Kamrasi promised you when you gave him
the Uganga" (meaning the watch); "Kamrasi's horn is not ready
yet." This second prevarication completely set my dander up. If
I did not believe in his dangers of the way before, it quite
settled my opinion of the worth of his words now. I therefore
tendered him what might be called the ultimatum to this effect.
There was no sincerity in such haggling; I would not submit to
being told lies by kings or anybody else.
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