This seemed to produce
great effect, for after a little gentle persuasion the drunken
youth, and his no less inebriate sire, were induced to sit down
to talk quietly. In their conversation with us, they frequently
referred to Mombo, the son of Kisesa, Sultan of Muzimu, who was
brutally murdered. "Yes, brutally murdered!" they exclaimed
several times, in their own tongue; illustrating, by a faithful
pantomime, how the unfortunate youth had died.
Livingstone continued talking with them in a mild, paternal way,
and their loud protestations against Arab cruelty were about to
subside, when the old Sultan suddenly rose up and began to pace
about in an excited manner, and in one of his perambulations
deliberately slashed his leg with the sharp blade of his spear,
and then exclaimed that the Wangwana had wounded him!
At this cry one half of the mob hastily took to flight, but one
old woman, who carried a strong staff with a carved lizard's body
on its top, commenced to abuse the chief with all the power of her
voluble tongue, charging him with a desire to have them all killed,
and other women joined in with her in advising him to be quiet,
and accept the present we were willing to give.
But it is evident that there was little needed to cause all men
present in that little hollow to begin a most sanguinary strife.
The gentle, patient bearing of the Doctor had more effect than
anything else in making all forbear bloodshed, while there was
left the least chance of an amicable settlement, and in the end
it prevailed.
