For Godsake Don't Try Any More To
Frighten My Men, For You Have Nearly Killed Me Already In Doing
So."
Next day (17th) I received a letter from Grant, narrating the
whole of his catastrophes:
-
"In the Jungles, near M'yonga's, 16th Sept. 1861.
"My dear Speke, - The caravan was attacked, plundered, and the men
driven to the winds, while marching this morning into M'yonga's
country.
"Awaking at cock-crow, I roused the camp, all anxious to rejoin
you; and while the loads were being packed, my attention was
drawn to an angry discussion between the head men and seven or
eight armed fellows sent by Sultan M'yonga, to insist upon my
putting up for the day in his village. They were summarily told
that as YOU had already made him a present, he need not expect a
visit from ME. Adhering, I doubt not, to their master's
instructions, they officiously constituted themselves our guides
till we chose to strike off their path, when, quickly heading our
party, they stopped the way, planted their spears, and DARED our
advance!
"This menace made us firmer in our determination, and we swept
past the spears. After we had marched unmolested for some seven
miles, a loud yelping from the woods excited our attention, and a
sudden rush was made upon us by, say two hundred men, who came
down seemingly in great glee. In an instant, at the caravan's
centre, they fastened upon the poor porters. The struggle was
short; and with the threat of an arrow or spear at their breasts,
men were robbed of their cloths and ornaments, loads were yielded
and run away with before resistance could be organised; only
three men of a hundred stood by me, the others, whose only
thought was their lives, fled into the woods, where I went
shouting for them. One man, little Rahan - rip as he is - stood
with cocked gun, defending his load, against five savages with
uplifted spears. No one else could be seen. Two or three were
reported killed; some were wounded. Beads, boxes, cloths, etc.,
lay strewed about the woods. In fact, I felt wrecked. My
attempt to go and demand redress from the sultan was resisted,
and, in utter despair, I seated myself among a mass of rascals
jeering round me, and insolent after the success of the day.
Several were dressed in the very cloths, etc., they had stolen
from my men.
"In the afternoon, about fifteen men and loads were brought me,
with a message from the sultan, that the attack had been a
mistake of his subjects - that one man had had a hand cut off for
it, and that all the property would be restored!
Yours sincerely, J. W. Grant."
Now, judging from the message sent to Grant by M'yonga, it
appeared to me that his men had mistaken their chief's orders,
and had gone one step beyond his intentions. It was obvious that
the chief merely intended to prevent Grant from passing through
or evading his district without paying a hongo, else he would not
have sent his men to invite him to his palace, doubtless with
instructions, if necessary, to use force.
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