I Then Counted All The Wires Over,
At Bombay's Request, And Found Them Complete In Numbers, Without
Those He Had Set Aside From The Dowry Money.
Still there was a
doubt, for the wires might have been cut by him without
detection, as from the commencement they were of different
lengths.
However, I tried to make them friends, claimed all the
wires myself, and cautioned every man in the camp again, that
they were all losers when anything was misappropriated; for I
brought this property to pay our way with and whatever balance
was over at the end of the journey I would divide amongst the
whole of them.
12th and 13th. - When more sober, Bombay again came to crave a
thousand pardons for what he had done, threw himself down at my
feet, then at Grant's, kissed our toes, swore I was his Ma Pap
(father and mother); he had no father or mother to teach him
better; he owed all his prosperity to me; men must err sometimes;
oh, if I would only forgive him, - and so forth. Then being
assured that I knew he never would have done as he had if a
woman's attractions had not led him astray, he went to his work
again like a man, and consoled himself by taking Sangizo's sister
to wife on credit instead of the old love, promising to pay the
needful out of his pay, and to return her to her brother when the
journey was over.
In the evening Virembo and Karambule came to receive the hongo
for their chief, demanding 60 wires, 160 yards merikani, 300
strings of mzizima, and 5000 strings of white beads; but they
allowed themselves to be beaten down to 50 wires, 20 pretty
cloths, 100 strings mzizima, and 4000 kutuamnazi, or cocoa-nut-
leaf coloured beads, my white being all done. It was too late,
however, to count all the things out, so they came the next day
and took them. They then said we might go as soon as we had
settled with the Wahinda or Wanawami (the king's children), for
Suwarora could not see us this time, as he was so engaged with
his army; but he hoped to see us and pay us more respect when we
returned from Uganda, little thinking that I had sworn in my mind
never to see him, or return that way again. I said to those men,
I thought he was ashamed to see us, as he had robbed us so after
inviting us into the country, else he was too superstitious, for
he ought at least to have given us a place in his palace. They
both rebutted the insinuation; and, to change the subject,
commenced levying the remaining dues to the princes, which ended
by my giving thirty-four wires and six pretty cloths in a lump.
Early in the morning we were on foot again, only too thankful to
have got off so cheaply. Then men were appointed as guides and
protectors, to look after us as far as the border. What an
honour! We had come into the country drawn there by a combination
of pride and avarice and now we were leaving it in hot haste
under the guidance of an escort of officers, who were in reality
appointed to watch us as dangerous wizards and objects of terror.
It was all the same to us, as we now only thought of the prospect
of relief before us, and laughed at what we had gone through.
Rising out of the Uthungu valley, we walked over rolling ground,
drained in the dips by miry rush rivulets. The population was
thinly scattered in small groups of grass huts, where the scrub
jungle had been cleared away. On the road we passed cairns, to
which every passer-by contributed a stone. Of the origin of the
cairns I could not gain any information, though it struck me as
curious I should find them in the first country we had entered
governed by the Wahuma, as I formerly saw the same thing in the
Somali country, which doubtless, in earlier days, was governed by
a branch of the Abyssinians. Arrived at our camping, we were
immediately pounced upon by a deputation of officers, who said
they had been sent by Semamba, the officer of this district. He
lived ten miles from the road; but hearing of our approach, he
had sent these men to take his dues. At first I objected to pay,
lest he should afterwards treat me as Virembo had done; but I
gave way in the end, and paid nine wires, two chintz and two
bindera cloths, as the guides said they would stand my security
against any further molestation.
Rattling on again as merry as larks, over the same red sandstone
formation, we entered a fine forest, and trended on through it as
a stiff pace until we arrived at the head of a deep valley called
Lohuati, which was so beautiful we instinctively pulled up to
admire it. Deep down its well-wooded side below us was a stream,
of most inviting aspect for a trout-fisher, flowing towards the
N'yanza. Just beyond it the valley was clothed with fine trees
and luxuriant vegetation of all descriptions, amongst which was
conspicuous the pretty pandana palm, and rich gardens of
plantains; whilst thistles of extraordinary size and wild indigo
were the more common weeds. The land beyond that again rolled
back in high undulations, over which, in the far distance, we
could see a line of cones, red and bare on their tops, guttered
down with white streaks, looking for all the world like recent
volcanoes; and in the far background, rising higher than all,
were the rich grassy hills of Karague and Kishakka.
On resuming our march, a bird, called khongota, flew across our
path; seeing which, old Nasib, beaming with joy, in his
superstitious belief cried out with delight, "Ah, look at that
good omen!
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