This Appeal Did Not Move Him; But, Without A Reply, He Sullenly
Commenced Collecting Some Men To Accompany Me Back To Kaze.
At
first no one would go; they then mutinied for more beads,
announcing all sorts of grievances, which they
Said they were
always talking over to themselves, though I did not hear them.
The greatest, however, that they could get up was, that I always
paid the Wanyamuezi "temporaries" more than they got, though
"permanents." "They were the flesh, and I was the knife"; I cut
and did with them just as I liked, and they could not stand it
any longer. However, they had to stand it; and next day, when I
had brought them to reason, I gave over the charge of my tent and
property to Baraka, and commenced the return with a bad hitching
cough, caused by those cold easterly winds that blow over the
plateau during the six dry months of the years, and which are, I
suppose, the Harmattan peculiar to Africa.
Next day I joined Grant once more, and found he had collected a
few Sorombo men, hoping to follow after me. I then told him all
my mishaps in Sorombo, as well as of the "blue-devil" frights
that had seized all my men. I felt greatly alarmed about the
prospects of the expedition, scarcely knowing what I should do.
I resolved at last, if everything else failed, to make up a raft
at the southern end of the N'yanza, and try to go up to the Nile
in that way. My cough daily grew worse. I could not lie or sleep
on either side. Still my mind was so excited and anxious that,
after remaining one day here to enjoy Grant's society, I pushed
ahead again, taking Bombay with me, and had breakfast at
Mchimeka's.
There I found the Pig, who now said he wished he had taken my
offer of beads, for he had spoken with his chief, and saw that I
was right. Baraka and the Wanguana were humbugs, and had they
not opposed his going, he would have gone then; even now, he
said, he wished I would take him again with Bombay. Though half
inclined to accept his offer, which would have saved a long
trudge to Kaze, yet as he had tricked me so often, I felt there
would be no security unless I could get some coast interpreters,
who would not side with the chiefs against me as he had done.
From this I went on to Sirboko's, and spent the next day with him
talking over my plans. The rafting up the lake he thought a good
scheme; but he did not think I should ever get through Usui until
all the Kaze merchants went north in a body, for it was no use
trying to force my men against their inclinations; and if I did
not take care how I handled them, he thought they would all
desert.
My cough still grew worse, and became so bad that, whilst
mounting a hill on entering Ungugu's the second day after, I blew
and grunted like a broken-winded horse, and it became so
distressing I had to halt a day.
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