Here, However, He Was At Last Reduced To Submission And A
Better State Of His Senses By Starvation:
For I must add, the
African is much give to such mental fits of aberration at certain
periods:
These are generally harmless, but sometimes not; but
they come and they go again without any visible cause.
1st. - Musa's men now started for Rungua, and promised to bring
all the porters we wanted by the first day of the next moon. We
found that this would be early enough, for all the members of the
expedition, excepting myself, were suffering from the effects of
the wilderness life - some with fever, some with scurvy, and some
with ophthalmia - which made it desirable they should all have
rest. Little now was done besides counting out my property, and
making Sheikh Said, who became worse and worse, deliver his
charge of Cafila Bashi over to Bombay for good. When it was
found so much had been stolen, especially of the best articles, I
was obliged to purchase many things from Musa, paying 400 per
cent, which he said was their value here, over the market price
of Zanzibar. I also got him to have all my coils of brass and
copper wire made into bracelet, as is customary, to please the
northern people.
7th. - To-day information was brought here that whilst Manua Sera
was on his way from Ugogo to keep his appointment with me, Sheikh
Snay's army came on him at Tura, where he was ensconced in a
tembe. Hearing this, Snay, instead of attacking the village at
once, commenced negotiations with the chief of the place by
demanding him to set free his guest, otherwise they, the Arabs,
would storm the tembe. The chief, unfortunately, did not comply
at once, but begged grace for one night, saying that if Manua
Sera was found there in the morning they might do as they liked.
Of course Manua bolted; and the Arabs, seeing the Tura people all
under arms ready to defend themselves the next morning, set at
them in earnest, and shot, murdered, or plundered the whole of
the district. Then, whilst Arabs were sending in their captures
of women, children, and cattle, Manua Sera made off to a district
called Dara, where he formed an alliance with its chief, Kifunja,
and boasted he would attack Kaze as soon as the travelling season
commenced, when the place would be weakened by the dispersion of
the Arabs on their ivory excursions.
The startling news set the place in a blaze, and brought all the
Arabs again to seek my advice for they condemned what Snay had
done in not listening to me before, and wished to know if I could
not now treat for them with Manua Sera, which they thought could
be easily managed, as Manua Sera himself was not only the first
to propose mediation, but was actually on his way here for the
purpose when Snay opposed him. I said nothing could give me
greater pleasure than mediating for them, to put a stop to these
horrors, but it struck me the case had now gone too far.
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