Intrigues Of All Sorts I Could See Were Brewing, Possibly At The
Instigation Of The Fugitive Wanyamuezi, Who Suspected We
Were
bound to side with the Arabs - possibly from some other cause, I
could not tell what; so, to clear
Out of this pandemonium as soon
as possible I issued cloths to buy double rations, intending to
cross the wilderness by successive relays in double the ordinary
number of days. I determined at the same time to send forward
two freed men to Kaze to ask Musa and the Arabs to send me out
some provisions and men to meet us half-way.
Matters grew worse and worse. The sultan, now finding me unable
to move, sent a message to say if I would not give him some
better cloths to make his hongo more respectable, he would attack
my camp; and advised all the Wanyamuezi who regarded their lives
not to go near me if I resisted. This was by no means pleasant;
for the porters showed their uneasiness by extracting their own
cloths from my bundles, under the pretext that they wished to
make some purchases of their own. I ought, perhaps, to have
stopped this; but I thought the best plan was to show total
indifference; so, at the same time that they were allowed to take
their cloths, I refused to comply with the chief's request, and
begged them to have no fear so long as they saw I could hold my
own ground with my guns.
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