3d. - I Sent The Picture Required, And An Angry Message To Kamrasi
For Breaking His Word, As He Promised Us We Should Go Without A
Day's Delay; And Go We Must, For I Could Neither Eat Nor Sleep
From Thinking Of My Home.
His only reply to this was, Bana is
always in a preposterous hurry.
He answered, that for our
gratification he had directed a dwarf called Kimenya to be sent
to us, and the Kamraviona should follow after. Kimenya, a little
old man, less than a yard high, called on us with a walking-stick
higher than himself, made his salaam, and sat down very
composedly. He then rose and danced, singing without invitation,
and following it up with queer antics. Lastly, he performed the
tambura, or charging-march, in imitation of Wakugnu, repeating
the same words they use, and ending by a demand for simbi, or
cowrie-shells, modestly saying, "I am a beggar, and want simbi;
if you have not 500 to spare, you must at any rate give me 400."
He then narrated his fortune in life. Born in Chopi, he was sent
for by Kamrasi, who first gave him two women, who died; then
another, who ran away; and, finally, a distorted dwarf like
himself, whom he rejected, because he thought the propagation of
his pigmy breed would not be advantageous to society. Bombay
then marched him back to the palace, with 500 simbi strung in
necklaces round his neck. When these two had gone, the
Kamraviona arrived with two spears, one load of flour, and a pot
of pombe, which he requested me to accept, adding that the spears
were given as it was observed I had accepted some from the king
of Uganda; a shield was still in reserve for me, and spears would
be sent for Grant. Then with regard to my going, Kamrasi must
beg us to have patience until he had sent messengers into Kidi,
requesting the natives there not to molest me on the way, for
they had threatened they would do so, and if they persisted, he
would send us with a force by another route via Ugungu - another
attempt to draw us off to fight against his brothers.
I stormed at this announcement as a breach of faith; said I had
given the king my only tent, my only digester, my only saw, my
only wire, my only mosquito-curtains, and my last of everything,
because he had assured me I should have to pay no more chiefs,
and he would give me the road at once. If he did not intend now
to fulfil his promise, I begged he would take back his spears,
for I would only accept them as a farewell present. The
Kamraviona finding me rather warm, with the usual pertinacious
duplicity of a negro, then said, "Well, let that subject drop,
and consider the present Kamrasi promised you when you gave him
the Uganga" (meaning the watch); "Kamrasi's horn is not ready
yet." This second prevarication completely set my dander up. If
I did not believe in his dangers of the way before, it quite
settled my opinion of the worth of his words now. I therefore
tendered him what might be called the ultimatum to this effect.
There was no sincerity in such haggling; I would not submit to
being told lies by kings or anybody else. He must take back the
spears, or give us the road to-morrow; and unless the Kamraviona
would tell him this and bring me an answer at once, the spears
should not remain in my house during the night. Evidently in
alarm, the Kamraviona, with Kidgwiga and Frij in company to bear
him witness, returned to the palace, telling Kamrasi that he saw
we were in thorough earnest. He extracted a promise that Kamrasi
would have a farewell meeting with us either to-morrow or the
next day, when we should have a large escort to Petherick's
boats, and the men would be able to bring back anything that he
wanted; but he could not let us go without a parting interview,
such as we had at Uganda with Mtesa.
The deputation, delighted with their success and the manner in
which it was effected, hurried back to me at once, and said they
were so frightened themselves that they would have skulked away
to their homes and not come near me if they could not have
arranged matters to my satisfaction. Kamrasi would not believe I
had threatened to turn out his spears until Frij testified to
their statements; and he then said, "Let Bana keep the spears and
drink the pombe, for I would not wish him to be a prisoner
against his will." Bombay, after taking back the dwarf, met one
of N'yamasore's officers, just arrived from Uganda on some
important business, and upbraided Mtesa for not having carried
out my instructions. The officer in turn tried to defend Mtesa's
conduct by saying he had given the deserters seventy cows and
four women, as well as orders to join us quickly; but they had
been delayed on the road, because wherever they went they
plundered, and no one liked their company. Had we returned to
Uganda, Mtesa would have given us the road through Masai, which,
in my opinion, is nearer for us than this one.
This officer had been wishing to see us as much as we had been to
see him; but Kamrasi would not allow him to get access to us, for
fear, it was said, lest the Waganda should know where we were
hidden, and enable Mtesa to send an army to come and snatch us
away. As the officer said he would deliver any message I might
wish to send to Uganda, I folded a visiting-card as a letter to
the queen-dowager, intimating that I wished the two men whom I
sent back to Mtesa to be forwarded on to Karague; but desired
that the remainder, who deserted their master in difficulty,
should be placed on an island of the N'yanza to live in exile
until some other Englishman should come to release them; that
their arms should be taken from them and kept in the palace.
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Words from 190325 to 191367
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