Now getting late, and the camp
was about three miles away, I was reluctantly obliged to return
without the meat.
On our way to camp we were accompanied by a large animal which
persistently followed us on our left. It was too dark to see
plainly, but a large form was visible, if not very clearly
defined. It must have been a lion, unless it was the ghost of
the dead boar.
That night, about 11 P.M., we were startled by the roar of a lion,
in close proximity to the camp. Soon it was joined by another,
and another still, and the novelty of the thing kept me awake.
I peered through the gate of the camp, and endeavoured to sight
a rifle - my little Winchester, in the accuracy of which I had
perfect confidence; but, alas! for the cartridges, they might have
been as well filled with sawdust for all the benefit I derived from
them. Disgusted with the miserable ammunition, I left the lions
alone, and turned in, with their roaring as a lullaby.
That terrestrial paradise for the hunter, the valley of the pellucid
Mtambu, was deserted by us the next morning for the settlement
commonly known to the Wakawendi as Imrera's, with as much unconcern
as though it were a howling desert. The village near which we
encamped was called Itaga, in the district of Rusawa. As soon as
we had crossed the River Mtambu we had entered Ukawendi, commonly
called "Kawendi" by the natives of the country.
The district of Rusawa is thickly populated. The people are quiet
and well-disposed to strangers, though few ever come to this region
from afar. One or two Wasawahili traders visit it every year or so
from Pumburu and Usowa; but very little ivory being obtained
from the people, the long distance between the settlements serves
to deter the regular trader from venturing hither.
If caravans arrive here, the objective point to them is the
district of Pumburu, situated south-westerly one day's good
marching, or, say, thirty statute miles from Imrera; or they
make for Usowa, on the Tanganika, via Pumburu, Katuma, Uyombeh,
and Ugarawah. Usowa is quite an important district on the Tanganika,
populous and flourishing. This was the road we had intended to
adopt after leaving Imrera, but the reports received at the latter
place forbade such a venture. For Mapunda, the Sultan of Usowa,
though a great friend to Arab traders, was at war with the colony
of the Wazavira, who we must remember were driven from Mpokwa
and vicinity in Utanda, and who were said to have settled between
Pumburu and Usowa.
It remained for us, like wise, prudent men, having charge of a
large and valuable Expedition on our hands, to decide what to do,
and what route to adopt, now that we had approached much nearer to
Ujiji than we were to Unyanyembe. I suggested that we should make
direct for the Tanganika by compass, trusting to no road or guide,
but to march direct west until we came to the Tanganika, and then
follow the lake shore on foot until we came to Ujiji. For it ever
haunted my mind, that, if Dr. Livingstone should hear of my coming,
which he might possibly do if I travelled along any known road, he
would leave, and that my search for him would consequently be a
"stern chase." But my principal men thought it better that we should
now boldly turn our faces north, and march for the Malagarazi, which
was said to be a large river flowing from the east to the Tanganika.
But none of my men knew the road to the Malagarazi, neither could
guides be hired from Sultan Imrera. We were, however, informed that
the Malagarazi was but two days' march from Imrera. I thought it
safe, in such a case, to provision my men with three days' rations.
The village of Itaga is situated in a deep mountain hollow, finely
overlooking a large extent of cultivation. The people grow sweet
potatoes, manioc - out of which tapioca is made - beans, and the
holcus. Not one chicken could be purchased for love or money,
and, besides grain, only a lean, scraggy specimen of a goat, a
long time ago imported form Uvinza, was procurable.
October the 25th will be remembered by me as a day of great troubles;
in fact, a series of troubles began from this date. We struck an
easterly road in order to obtain a passage to the lofty plateau which
bounded the valley of Imrera on the west and on the north. We camped,
after a two and a half hours' march, at its foot. The defile promised
a feasible means of ascent to the summit of the plateau, which rose
upward in a series of scarps a thousand feet above the valley of
Imrera.
While ascending that lofty arc of mountains which bounded westerly
and northerly the basin of Imrera, extensive prospects southward and
eastward were revealed. The character of the scenery at Ukawendi is
always animated and picturesque, but never sublime. The folds of this
ridge contained several ruins of bomas, which seemed to have been
erected during war time.
The mbemba fruit was plentiful along this march, and every few minutes
I could see from the rear one or two men hastening to secure a treasure
of it which they discovered on the ground.
A little before reaching the camp I had a shot at a leopard, but
failed to bring him down as he bounded away. At night the lions
roared as at the Mtambu River.
A lengthy march under the deep twilight shadows of a great forest,
which protected us from the hot sunbeams, brought us, on the next
day, to a camp newly constructed by a party of Arabs from Ujiji, who
had advanced thus far on their road to Unyanyembe, but, alarmed at
the reports of the war between Mirambo and the Arabs, had
returned.
