- At dawn we were on the road, very silent and sad.
Our stock of cloth was much diminished; we had nine bales left,
sufficient to have taken us to the Atlantic Ocean - aided by the
beads, which were yet untouched - if we practised economy. If I
met many more like Mionvu I had not enough to take me to Ujiji,
and, though we were said to be so near, Livingstone seemed to me
to be just as far as ever.
We crossed the Pombwe, and then struck across a slowly-undulating
plain rising gradually to mountains on our right, and on our left
sinking towards the valley of the Malagarazi, which river was
about twenty miles away. Villages rose to our view everywhere.
Food was cheap, milk was plentiful, and the butter good.
After a four hours' march, we crossed the Kanengi River, and
entered the boma of Kahirigi, inhabited by several Watusi and Wahha.
Here, we were told, lived the King of Uhha's brother. This
announcement was anything but welcome, and I began to suspect I had
fallen into another hornets' nest. We had not rested two hours
before two Wangwana entered my tent, who were slaves of Thani bin
Abdullah, our dandified friend of Unyanyembe. These men came, on
the part of the king's brother, to claim the HONGA ! The king's
brother, demanded thirty doti! Half a bale! Merciful Providence!
What shall I do?
