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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One, a thick pole of hard wood
about six feet long, answering for a pestle; the other, a
capacious wooden mortar, three feet in height.
While engaged in setting his tent, Shaw was obliged to move a small
flat stone, to drive a peg into the ground. The village chief, who
saw him do it, rushed up in a breathless fashion, and replaced the
stone instantly, then stood on it in an impressive manner,
indicative of the great importance attached to that stone and
location. Bombay, seeing Shaw standing in silent wonder at the
act, volunteered to ask the chief what was the matter. The Sheikh
solemnly answered, with a finger pointing downward, "Uganga!"
Whereupon I implored him to let me see what was under the stone.
With a graciousness quite affecting he complied. My curiosity was
gratified with the sight of a small whittled stick, which pinned
fast to the ground an insect, the cause of a miscarriage to a young
female of the village.
During the afternoon, Uledi and Ferajji, who had been despatched
after the truant Khamisi, returned with him and all the missing
articles. Khamisi, soon after leaving the road and plunging into
the jungle, where he was mentally triumphing in his booty, was met
by some of the plundering Washensi, who are always on the qui vive
for stragglers, and unceremoniously taken to their village in the
woods, and bound to a tree preparatory, to being killed. Khamisi
said that he asked them why they tied him up, to which they answered,
that they were about to kill him, because he was a Mgwana, whom they
were accustomed to kill as soon as they were caught. But Uledi and
Ferajji shortly after coming upon the scene, both well armed, put
an end to the debates upon Khamisi's fate, by claiming him as
an absconding pagazi from the Musungu's camp, as well as all the
articles he possessed at the time of capture. The robbers did not
dispute the claim for the pagazi, goats, tent, or any other
valuable found with him, but intimated that they deserved a reward
for apprehending him. The demand being considered just, a reward
to the extent of two doti and a fundo, or ten necklaces of beads,
was given.
Khamisi, for his desertion and attempted robbery, could not be
pardoned without first suffering punishment. He had asked at
Bagamoyo, before enlisting in my service, an advance of $5 in
money, and had received it, and a load of Bubu beads, no heavier
than a pagazis load, had been given him to carry; he had,
therefore, no excuse for desertion. Lest I should overstep
prudence, however, in punishing him, I convened a court of eight
pagazis and four soldiers to sit in judgment, and asked them to
give me their decision as to what should be done. Their unanimous
verdict was that he was guilty of a crime almost unknown among the
Wanyamwezi pagazis, and as it was likely to give bad repute to the
Wanyamwezi carriers, they therefore sentenced him to be flogged
with the "Great Master's" donkey whip, which was accordingly
carried out, to poor Khamisi's crying sorrow.
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