CHAPTER VII.

UKUNI TO KARAGUE, SEPTEMBER 12 TO NOVEMBER 25, DISTANCE 200 MILES-COMMENCING THE JOURNEY-ATTACKED ON THE MARCH-THE WATUTA RACE-THE COUNTRY BETWEEN UKUNI AND KARAGUE – VOLCANIC MOUNDS-THE KING OF BIRDS-THE WANYAMBO-THE WALINGA, OR WORKERS IN IRON-A NATIVE BEAUTY-LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY.

WATERFALL

KARAGUE! how charmed we were to get there; its fine hills, lake scenery, climate, and, above all, the gentleness of the royal family, were all in such contrast to what we had experienced elsewhere of Africa and Africans, that, if surrounded by our friends, we should have been content, for a time at least, to take up our residence there. But before describing the country, the thread of our narrative must be taken up to show what had to be undergone to reach this haven. In September 1861, when preparing to move, I found that before a start could be made on an African march, particularly after a long halt, there were hundreds of annoyances unknown in other countries. No one believes you wish to move till a display is made of your beads, by counting them out, stringing them, and

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packing up the loads. The sight of these rouses the sultan he, his family, and all the people of the place, begin to pester you for presents, and you would give worlds to be away from such intolerable bullying. Half your number of porters at last being collected to receive their pay, a momentary suspense takes place : the first man hesitates to accept the hire he had agreed for; each man strives to lay the responsibility upon another; but as soon as one accepts, instantly the rest scramble for it. Here are some extracts from my Journal previous to the march :

Ten

"8th September.-Attempt to push all the engaged men ahead with their loads, in charge of Said, but fail, and half the day is lost by the native procrastination. Said no better than the rest of them. After a long day of it, started off 40 loads and three donkeys ahead to first march, where they will wait for us. paid-up porters not present. One says, 'My wife is ill; I return my hire:' another, 'My father and mother won't allow me to accompany you.' I chastise him; he puts himself under the protection of the sultan, and bolts, leaving his hire of calico blackened by one day's wear. A third will not go because I refuse him the leadership. Last night my men returned from searching for porters, saying, 'None will go unless you give them four times the usual hire.'

"9th.-Three of my men have been away all day, and have not brought back a man. Wezees had promised to come, but I have no faith in what they say; others ask triple hire. Twelve loads sent out by men of the advanced camp.

"10th.-Cannot see a prospect of marching from here. Ordered Manua to Roongwa for porters; saw

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him at night. 'Have you been for porters?' 'Yes, there and back.' I laughed at this cool assertion, and asked, 'How many did you get?' 'Four are coming in the morning.' This was too much, as all the Seedees satisfied me that he had never been out of the place; I therefore ordered him to receive two dozen. Rehan (cook) said, 'I won't give it.' 'You must,' I said; but ultimately the matter was settled by Manua running away, all the Seedees after him! (Manua afterwards became a great friend of mine, as he knew the names and uses of every plant and tree in the country.) "11th. Yesterday sent a note to Speke, but find the bearer did not start, because he had a Wezee lady in tow. Verily these ing and most trying set. My leader reported sick. to be flogged yesterday) not to be found. Four porters arrive, but won't start till to-morrow, as they feel tired!

Africans are a self-pleasTwo men off for porters. Manua (the man I ordered

"12th. Start three loads; fourth man not present; he had gone away to sleep in another village. Ten men came in from camp ahead to carry away my remaining traps. Sultan demands a present, but on consulting my men, we all agreed that as he had already got eight fathoms of cloth, a large quantity of beads, some gunpowder, and had lost four cows placed in his charge, no more was necessary for him. At this decision he struck my porters and drove them out of his village, and seized some cases of ammunition and a rifle. The quarrel was made worse by the drunkenness of my chief interpreter, Rehan, who in this state threw his gun and accoutrements at my feet, spat upon one of my men, and gave his

H

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support to the sultan. After bearing these insults, and seeing the powder, &c., recovered, I walked outside the village and sat down, feeling sick, sore at heart, and exhausted from the detestable strife, but thankful to God that I had so much command of temper. A servant reported that he and another must sleep that night with their loads in the village, as security for my paying some cloth and beads. Anything to get away, and I marched to my advanced camp, eight miles off, regretting that I had not bid adieu to the sultana.

"13th.-Sent back the cloths to the sultan by Uledi. So jolly and civilised-like to have a note brought me by three or four Seedees from Speke, wanting me up sharp! Uledi returned at sunset, having satisfied the sultan. Said, Rehan, and Baraka sent word they would be up in the morning; so like an African's system of procrastination, winning the mornings and evenings from us, and saying the day is too hot to move.

"14th.-March three miles to a wretched village. A number of men hanging on for hire; one man promised for Karague, and backed out of it because I frightened him by writing his name down. Tried to make an afternoon march, but no one would stir; besides, three loads were behind.

"15th.-Under way outside the village by six A.M.; eight loads still on the ground, no porters to carry them, and loads in the rear belonging to men sleeping in other villages. Every day seems to be won from Countermand the march till the afternoon; a panic had struck the porters. The Watuta are at the next ground from camp. I took the chief porter,

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walked there and back, 20 miles, by 3 P.M., and found this much-dreaded tribe had left that morning.

"16th.-Having aroused my camp, a noisy conversation soon began with some strange armed men, who had been sent by Sultan Myonga to insist on my visiting him with my caravan; but as I saw yesterday that his residence was completely out of my route, and as Speke had laid down that no further present should be made to him, his 'soldiers' were told this; but, at the turn to their master's village, they planted their spears in defiance, and dared us to proceed by any but their way. We laughed at them, and held on our road for seven miles, when out of some thick cover came a howling of voices. I was about the third from the head of my Indian file, when a troop of about two hundred, with assigais, bows and arrows, burst upon us, springing over the ground like cats. Passing the van, apparently without any intention of molesting us, or 'showing their colours,' no one stopped even to look at them; but of a sudden they broke in upon the centre of our line, and, with uplifted assigais and shouts, frightened the porters to give up their loads and fly, if they could escape the hands of the ruffians who were pulling their clothes and beads from them. Seeing my goods carried off, I tried, without bloodshed, to prevent it; for they were too numerous to attack, as I had but one of my gun-men and two natives. On searching for others, I found Rehan with rifle at full cock, defending two loads against five of the men. He had been told by Manua that he was 'a fool to think of the loads; fly for your life!' but the property, he said, was his life. On making for the village of the Sultan Myonga to seek redress, I was