By Doing So, We Should Have Avoided The Wandering Watuta,
Whose Depredations Had Laid Waste Nearly All Of This Country;
But
the designing blackguard, in opposition to my wishes, to
accomplish some object of his own, chose to mislead us
All, and
quietly took us straight into Sorombo to Kague, the boma of a
sub-chief, called Mfumbi, where we no sooner arrived than the
inhospitable brute forbade any one of his subjects to sell us
food until the hongo was paid, for he was not sure that we were
not allied with the Watuta to rob his country. After receiving
what he called his dues - one barsati, two yards merikani, and two
yards kiniki - the drums beat, and all was settled with him; but I
was told the head chief Makaka, who lived ten miles to the west,
and so much out of my road, had sent expressly to invite me to
see him. He said it was his right I should go to him as the
principal chief of the district. Moreover he longed for a sight
of a white man; for though he had travelled all across Uganda and
Usoga into Masawa, or the Masai country, as well as to the coast,
where he had seen both Arabs and Indians, he had never yet seen
an Englishman. If I would oblige him, he said he would give me
guides to Suwarora, who was his mkama or king. Of course I knew
well what all this meant; and at the same time that I said I
could not comply, I promised to send him a present of friendship
by the hands of Baraka.
This caused a halt. Makaka would not hear of such an
arrangement. A present, he said, was due to him of course, but of
more importance than the present was his wish to see me. Baraka
and all the men begged I would give in, as they were sure he must
be a good man to send such a kind message. I strove in vain, for
no one would lift a load unless I complied; so, perforce, I went
there, in company, however, with Mfumbi, who now pretended to be
great friends; but what was the result? On entering the palace
we were shown into a cowyard without a tree in it, or any shade;
and no one was allowed to sell us food until a present of
friendship was paid, after which the hongo would be discussed.
The price of friendship was not settled that day, however, and my
men had to go supperless to bed. Baraka offered him one common
cloth, and then another - all of which he rejected with such
impetuosity that Baraka said his head was all on a whirl. Makaka
insisted he would have a deole, or nothing at all. I protested I
had no deoles I could give him; for all the expensive cloths
which I had brought from the coast had been stolen in Mgunda
Mkhali. I had three, however, concealed at the time - which I had
bought from Musa, at forty dollars each - intended for the kings
of Karague and Uganda.
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