To Assist Grant, I Begged Lumeresi To Send Him Some Aid In Men At
Once; But He Refused, On The Plea That M'yonga Was At War With
Him, And Would Kill Them If They Went.
This was all the more
provoking, as Grant, in a letter next evening, told me he could
not get all his men together again, and wished to know what
should be done.
He had recovered all the property except six
loads of beads, eighty yards of American sheeting, and many minor
articles, besides what had been rifled more or less from every
load. In the same letter he asked me to deliver up a Mhuma woman
to a man who came with the bearers of his missive, as she had
made love to Saim at Ukulima's, and had bolted with my men to
escape from her husband.
On inquiring into this matter, she told me her face had been her
misfortune, for the man who now claimed her stole her from her
parents at Ujiji, and forcibly made her his wife, but ever since
had ill-treated her, often thrashing her, and never giving her
proper food or clothing. It was on this account she fell in love
with Saim; for he, taking compassion on her doleful stories, had
promised to keep her as long as he travelled with me, and in the
end to send her back to her parents at Ujiji. She was a
beautiful woman, with gazelle eyes, oval face, high thin nose,
and fine lips, and would have made a good match for Saim, who had
a good deal of Arab blood in him, and was therefore, in my
opinion, much of the same mixed Shem-Hamitic breed.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 215 of 767
Words from 58737 to 59023
of 210958
