Towards Sunset We Arrived At New Mbimi, A Very Pretty And Fertile
Place, Lying At The Foot Of A Cluster
Of steep hills, and pitched
camp for three days to lay in supplies for ten, as this was
reported to
Be the only place where we could buy corn until we
reached Ugogo, a span of 140 miles. Mr Mbumi, the chief of the
place, a very affable negro, at once took us by the hand, and
said he would do anything we desired, for he had often been to
Zanzibar. He knew that the English were the ruling power in that
land, and that they were opposed to slavery, the terrible effects
of which had led to his abandoning Old Mbumi, on the banks of the
Mukondokua river, and rising here.
The sick Hottentot died here, and we buried him with Christian
honours. As his comrades said, he died because he had determined
to die, - an instance of that obstinate fatalism in their mulish
temperament which no kind words or threats can cure. This
terrible catastrophe made me wish to send all the remaining
Hottentots back to Zanzibar; but as they all preferred serving
with me to returning to duty at the Cape, I selected two of the
MOST sickly, put them under Tabib, one of Rigby's old servants,
and told him to remain with them at Mbumi until such time as he
might find some party proceeding to the coasts; and, in the
meanwhile, for board and lodgings I have Mbumi beads and cloth.
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