I Could Now Only Suppose That This Foolish And Hasty
Determination Of The Arabs, Who, Quite Unprepared To Carry Out
Their wicked alliance to fight, still had set every one against
their own interests as well as mine, had not
Reached Musa, so I
made up my mind at once to return to Kaze, and settle all matters
I had in my heart with himself and the Arabs in person.
This settled, I next, in this terrible embarrassment, determined
on sending back the last of the Hottentots, as all four of them,
though still wishing to go on with me, distinctly said they had
not the power to continue the march, for they had never ceased
suffering from fever and jaundice, which had made them all yellow
as guineas, save one, who was too black to change colour. It
felt to me as if I were selling my children, having once
undertaken to lead them through the journey; but if I did not
send them back then, I never could afterwards, and therefore I
allowed the more substantial feelings of humanity to overcome
these compunctions.
Next morning, then, after giving the Tots over in charge of some
men to escort them on to Kaze quietly, I set our myself with a
dozen men, and the following evening I put up with Musa, who told
me Baraka had just left without one man - all his slaves having
become afraid to go, since the news of the Arab alliance had
reached Kaze.
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