Not Unfrequently We
Would Pass On The Track Side Small Heaps Of White Ashes, With A
Calcined Bone Or Two Among Them.
These, we were told, were the
relics of burnt witches.
The caravan track we had now to travel
on leads along the right bank of the Kingani valley, overlooking
Uzegura, which, corresponding with Uzaramo, only on the other
side of the Kigani, extends northwards to the Pangani river, and
is intersected in the centre by the Wami river, of which more
hereafter.
Starting on a march with a large mixed caravan, consisting of 1
corporal and 9 privates, Hottentots - 1 jemadar and 25 privates,
Beluchs - 1 Arab Cafila Bashi and 75 freed slaves - 1 Kirangozi, or
leader, and 100 negro porters - 12 mules untrained, 3 donkeys, and
22 goats - one could hardly expect to find everybody in his place
at the proper time for breaking ground; but, at the same time, it
could hardly be expected that ten men, who had actually received
their bounty-money, and had sworn fidelity, should give one the
slip the very first day. Such, however, was the case. Ten out
of the thirty-six given by the Sultan ran away, because they
feared that the white men, whom they believed to be cannibals,
were only taking them into the interior to eat them; and one
pagazi, more honest than the freed men, deposited his pay upon
the ground, and ran away too. Go we must, however; for one
desertion is sure to lead to more; and go we did. Our procession
was in this fashion: The Kirangozi, with a load on his shoulder,
led the way, flag in hand, followed by the pagazis carrying
spears of bows and arrows in their hands, and bearing their share
of the baggage in the shape either of bolster-shaped loads of
cloth and beads covered with matting, each tied into the fork of
a three-pronged stick, or else coils of brass or copper wire tied
in even weights to each end of sticks which they laid on the
shoulder; then helter-skelter came the
Wanguana, carrying carbines in their hands, and boxes, bundles,
tents, cooking-pots - all the miscellaneous property - on their
heads; next the Hottentots, dragging the refractory mules laden
with ammunition-boxes, but very lightly, to save the animals for
the future; and, finally, Sheikh Said and the Beluch escort;
while the goats, sick women, and stragglers, brought up the rear.
From first to last, some of the sick Hottentots rode the hospital
donkeys, allowing the negroes to tug their animals; for the
smallest ailment threw them broadcast on their backs. In a
little while we cleared from the rich gardens, mango clumps, and
cocoa-but trees, which characterise the fertile coast-line. After
traversing fields of grass well clothed with green trees, we
arrived at the little settlement of Bomani, where camp was
formed, and everybody fairly appointed to his place. The process
of camp-forming would be thus: Sheikh Said, with Bombay under
him, issues cloths to the men for rations at the rate of one-
fourth load a-day (about 15 lb.) amongst 165; the Hottentots cook
our dinners and their own, or else lie rolling on the ground
overcome with fatigue; the Beluchs are supposed to guard the
camp, but prefer gossip and brightening their arms.
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