The Makololo Too
Were Becoming Dispirited By Sickness And Want Of Food, And Were
Naturally Anxious To Be Back To Their Fields In Time For Sowing.
But
in addition to all this and more, it was felt that it would not be
dealing honestly with
The Government, were we, for the sake of a
little eclat, to risk the detention of the "Pioneer" up the river
during another year; so we decided to return; and though we had
afterwards the mortification to find that we were detained two full
months at the ship waiting for the flood which we expected
immediately after our arrival there, the chagrin was lessened by a
consciousness of having acted in a fair, honest, above-board manner
throughout.
On the night of the 29th of September a thief came to the sleeping-
place of our men and stole a leg of a goat. On complaining to the
deputy headman, he said that the thief had fled, but would be caught.
He suggested a fine, and offered a fowl and her eggs; but wishing
that the thief alone should be punished, it was advised that HE
should be found and fined. The Makololo thought it best to take the
fowl as a means of making the punishment certain. After settling
this matter on the last day of September, we commenced our return
journey. We had just the same time to go back to the ship, that we
had spent in coming to this point, and there is not much to interest
one in marching over the same ground a second time.
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