The Land Beyond That Again Rolled
Back In High Undulations, Over Which, In The Far Distance, We
Could See A
Line of cones, red and bare on their tops, guttered
down with white streaks, looking for all the world like
Recent
volcanoes; and in the far background, rising higher than all,
were the rich grassy hills of Karague and Kishakka.
On resuming our march, a bird, called khongota, flew across our
path; seeing which, old Nasib, beaming with joy, in his
superstitious belief cried out with delight, "Ah, look at that
good omen! - now our journey will be sure to be prosperous."
After fording the stream, we sat down to rest, and were visited
by all the inhabitants, who were more naked than any people we
had yet seen. All the maidens, even at the age of puberty, did
not hesitate to stand boldly in front of us - for evil thoughts
were not in their minds. From this we rose over a stony hill to
the settlement of Vihembe, which, being the last on the Usui
frontier, induced me to give our guides three wires each, and
four yards of bindera, which Nasib said was their proper fee.
Here Bombay's would-be, but disappointed, father-in-law sent
after us to say that he required a hongo; Suwarora had never
given his sanction to our quitting his country; his hongo even
was not settled. He wished, moreover, particularly to see us;
and if we did not return in a friendly manner, an army would
arrest our march immediately.
Chapter VIII
Karague
Relief from Protectors and Pillagers - The Scenery and Geology -
Meeting with the Friendly King Rumanika - His Hospitalities and
Attention - His Services to the Expedition - Philosophical and
Theological Inquiries - The Royal Family of Karague - The M-Fumbiro
Mountain - Navigation of "The Little Windermere" - The New-Moon
Levee - Rhinoceros and Hippopotamus Hunting - Measurement of a
Fattened Queen - Political Polygamy - Christmas - Rumours of
Petherick's Expedition - Arrangements to meet it - March to Uganda.
This was a day of relief and happiness. A load was removed from
us in seeing the Wasui "protectors" depart, with the truly
cheering information that we now had nothing but wild animals to
contend with before reaching Karague. This land is "neutral," by
which is meant that it is untenanted by human beings; and we
might now hope to bid adieu for a time to the scourging system of
taxation to which we had been subjected.
Gradually descending from the spur which separates the Lohugati
valley from the bed of the Lueru lo Urigi, or Lake of Urigi, the
track led us first through a meadow of much pleasing beauty, and
then through a passage between the "saddle-back" domes we had
seen from the heights above Lohugati, where a new geological
formation especially attracted my notice. From the green slopes
of the hills, set up at a slant, as if the central line of
pressure on the dome top had weighed on the inside plates,
protruded soft slabs of argillaceous sandstone, whose laminae
presented a beef-sandwich appearance, puce or purple alternating
with creamy-white.
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