From such a slight cause ensued a tremendous uproar
from Kingaru - chief of the village - who, with his brother-chiefs of
neighbouring villages, numbering in the aggregate two dozen wattled
huts, had taken counsel upon the best means of mulcting the Musungu
of a full doti or two of Merikani, and finally had arrived at the
conviction that the act of burying a dead horse in their soil without
"By your leave, sir," was a grievous and fineable fault. Affecting
great indignation at the unpardonable omission, he, Kingaru,
concluded to send to the Musungu four of his young men to say to him
that "since you have buried your horse in my ground, it is well; let
him remain there; but you must pay me two doti of Merikani." For
reply the messengers were told to say to the chief that I would
prefer talking the matter over with himself face to face, if he would
condescend to visit me in my tent once again. As the village was but
a stone's throw from our encampment, before many minutes had elapsed
the wrinkled elder made his appearance at the door of my tent with
about half the village behind him.
The following dialogue which took place will serve to illustrate
the tempers of the people with whom I was about to have a year's
trading intercourse:
White Man. - "Are you the great chief of Kingaru?"
Kingaru. - "Huh-uh. Yes."
W. M. - "The great, great chief?"
Kingaru. - "Huh-uh. Yes."
W. M. - " How many soldiers have you?"
Kingaru. - " Why?"
W. M. - "How many fighting men have you?"
Kingaru. - "None."
W. M. - "Oh! I thought you might have a thousand men with you, by
your going to fine a strong white man, who has plenty of guns and
soldiers, two doti for burying a dead horse."
Kingaru (rather perplexed). - " No; I have no soldiers. I have only
a few young men,"
W. M. - "Why do you come and make trouble, then?"
Kingaru. - "It was not I; it was my brothers who said to me, `Come
here, come here, Kingaru, see what the white man has done! Has he
not taken possession of your soil, in that he has put his horse
into your ground without your permission? Come, go to him and see
by what right.' Therefore have I come to ask you, who gave you
permission to use my soil for a burying-ground?"
W. M. "I want no man's permission to do what is right. My
horse died; had I left him to fester and stink in your valley,
sickness would visit your village, your water would become
unwholesome, and caravans would not stop here for trade; for
they would say, `This is an unlucky spot, let us go away.' But
enough said: I understand you to say that you do not want him
buried in your ground; the error I have fallen into is easily put
right. This minute my soldiers shall dig him out again, and cover
up the soil as it was before; and the horse shall be left where he
died." (Then shouting to Bombay.) "Ho! Bombay, take soldiers
with jembes to dig my horse out of the ground, drag him to where
he died, and make everything ready for a march to-morrow morning."
Kingaru, his voice considerably higher, and his head moving to and
fro with emotion, cries out, "Akuna, akuna, bana!" - "No, no,
master! Let not the white man get angry. The horse is dead, and
now lies buried; let him remain so, since he is already there,
and let us be friends again."
The Sheikh of Kingaru being thus brought to his senses, we bid each
other the friendly "Kwaheri," and I was left alone to ruminate
over my loss. Barely half an hour had elapsed, it was 9 P.M.,
the camp was in a semi-doze, when I heard deep groans issuing from
one of the animals. Upon inquiry as to what animal was suffering,
I was surprised to hear that it was my bay horse. With a
bull's-eye lantern, I visited him, and perceived that the pain was
located in the stomach, but whether it was from some poisonous
plant he had eaten while out grazing, or from some equine disease,
I did not know. He discharged copious quantities of loose matter,
but there was nothing peculiar in its colour. The pain was
evidently very great, for his struggles were very violent. I was up
all night, hoping that it was but a temporary effect of some strange
and noxious plant; but at 6 o'clock the next morning, after a short
period of great agony, he also died; exactly fifteen hours after his
companion. When the stomach was opened, it was found that death
was caused by the internal rupture of a large cancer, which had
affected the larger half of the coating of his stomach, and had
extended an inch or two up the larynx. The contents of the stomach
and intestines were deluged with the yellow viscous efflux from the
cancer.
I was thus deprived of both my horses, and that within the short
space of fifteen hours. With my limited knowledge of veterinary
science, however, strengthened by the actual and positive proofs
obtained by the dissection of the two stomachs, I can scarcely
state that horses can live to reach Unyanyembe, or that they can
travel with ease through this part of East Africa. But should I
have occasion at some future day, I should not hesitate to take
four horses with me, though I should certainly endeavour to
ascertain previous to purchase whether they, were perfectly sound
and healthy, and to those travellers who cherish a good horse I
would say, "Try one," and be not discouraged by my unfortunate
experiences.
