Kind As He Looked
And Spoke, He Forgot All His Promises About Coveting My Property,
And Scarcely Got Over The
First salutation before he began
begging for many things that he saw, and more especially for a
deole, in order
That he might wear it on all great occasions, to
show his contemporaries what a magnanimous man his white visitor
was. I soon lost my temper whilst striving to settle the hongo.
Lumeresi would have a deole, and I would not admit that I had
one.
23d to 31st. - Next morning I was too weak to speak moderately,
and roared more like a madman than a rational being, as, breaking
his faith, he persisted in bullying me. The day after, I took
pills and blistered my chest all over, still Lumeresi would not
let me alone, nor come to any kind of terms until the 25th, when
he said he would take a certain number of pretty common cloths
for his children if I would throw in a red blanket for himself.
I jumped at this concession with the greatest eagerness, paid
down my cloths on the spot; and, thinking I was free at last,
ordered a hammock to be slung on a pole, that I might leave the
next day. Next morning, however, on seeing me actually preparing
to start, Lumeresi found he could not let me go until I increased
the tax by three more cloths, as some of his family complained
that they had got nothing. After some badgering, I paid what he
asked for, and ordered the men to carry me out of the palace
before anything else was done, for I would not sleep another
night where I was. Lumeresi then stood in my way, and said he
would never allow a man of his country to give me any assistance
until I was well, for he could not bear the idea of hearing it
said that, after taking so many cloths from me, he had allowed me
to die in the jungles - and dissuaded my men from obeying my
orders.
In vain I appealed to his mercy, declaring that the only chance
left me of saving my life would be from the change of air in the
hammock as I marched along. He would not listen, professing
humanity, whilst he meant plunder; and I now found that he was
determined not to beat the drum until I had paid him some more,
which he was to think over and settle next day. When the next
day came, he would not come near me, as he said I must possess a
deole, otherwise I would not venture on to Karague; for nobody
ever yet "saw" Rumanika without one. This suspension of business
was worse than the rows; I felt very miserable, and became worse.
At last, on my offering him anything that he might consider an
equivalent for the deole if he would but beat the drums of
satisfaction, he said I might consider myself his prisoner
instead of his guest if I persisted in my obstinacy in not giving
him Rumanika's deole; and then again peremptorily ordered all of
his subjects not to assist me in moving a load.
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