How I Found Livingstone Travels, Adventures And Discoveries In Central Africa Including Four Months Residence With Dr. Livingstone By Sir Henry M. Stanley
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He Was Informed That The Mtemi Had Strictly
Prohibited His People From Selling Any Grain Whatever.
This evidently was a case wherein the exercise of a little
diplomacy could only be effective; because it would detain us
several days here, if we were compelled to send men back to Kikuru
for provisions.
Opening a bale of choice goods, I selected two
royal cloths, and told Bombay to carry them to him, with the
compliments and friendship of the white man. The Sultan sulkily
refused them, and bade him return to the white man and tell him
not to bother him. Entreaties were of no avail, he would not
relent; and the men, in exceedingly bad temper, and hungry, were
obliged to go to bed supperless. The words of Njara, a slave-
trader, and parasite of the great Sheikh bin Nasib, recurred to me.
"Ah, master, master, you will find the people will be too much
for you, and that you will have to return. The Wa-manyara are
bad, the Wakonongo are very bad, the Wazavira are the worst
of all. You have come to this country at a bad time. It
is war everywhere." And, indeed, judging from the tenor of the
conversations around our camp-fires, it seemed but too evident.
There was every prospect of a general decamp of all my people.
However, I told them not to be discouraged; that I would get
food for them in the morning.
The bale of choice cloths was opened again next morning, and
four royal cloths were this time selected, and two dotis of Merikani,
and Bombay was again despatched, burdened with compliments, and
polite words.
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