They Were No Sooner Gone, However, Than Musa Assured Me They Had
Killed Old Maula Of Rubuga In The Most Treacherous Manner, As
Follows:
- Khamis, who is an Arab of most gentlemanly aspect, on
returning from Ugogo attended by slaves, having heard that Maula
was desirous of adjusting a peace, invited him with his son to do
so.
When old Maula came as desired, bringing his son with him,
and a suitable offering of ivory and cattle, the Arab induced
them both to kneel down and exchange blood with him, when, by a
previously concerted arrangement, Khamis had them shot down by
his slaves. This disgusting story made me quite sorry, when next
day the Arabs arrived, expecting that I should attempt to help
them; but as the matter had gone so far, I asked them, in the
first place, how they could hope Manua Sera would have any faith
in them when they were so treacherous, or trust to my help, since
they had killed Maula, who was my protege? They all replied in a
breath, "Oh, let the past be forgotten, and assist us now! for in
you alone we can look for a preserver."
At length an armistice was agreed to; but as no one dared go to
negotiated it but my men, I allowed them to take pay from the
Arabs, which was settled on the 4th by ten men taking four yards
of cloth each, with a promise of a feast on sweetmeats when they
returned. Ex Mrs Musa, who had been put aside by her husband
because she was too fat for her lord's taste, then gave me three
men of her private establishment, and abused Musa for being
wanting in "brains." She had repeatedly advised him to leave this
place and go with me, lest the Arabs, who were all in debt to
him, should put him to death; but he still hung on to recover his
remaining debts, a portion having been realised by the sale of
Snay's and Jafu's effects; for everything in the shape of
commodities had been sold at the enormous price of 500 per cent -
the male slaves even fetching 100 dollars per head, though the
females went for less. The Hottentots now arrived, with many more
of my men, who, seeing their old "flames," Snay's women, sold off
by auction, begged me to advance them money to purchase them
with, for they could not bear to see these women, who were their
own when they formerly stayed here, go off like cattle no one
knew where. Compliance, of course, was impossible, as it would
have crowded the caravan with women. Indeed, to prevent my men
every thinking of matrimony on the march, as well as to incite
them on through the journey, I promised, as soon as we reached
Egypt, to give them all wives and gardens at Zanzibar, provided
they did not contract marriages on the road.
On the 6th, the deputation, headed by Baraka, returned
triumphantly into Kaze, leading in two of Manua Sera's ministers-
-one of them a man with one eye, whom I called Cyclops - and tow
others, ministers of a chief called Kitambi, or Little Blue
Cloth.
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