He Also Boiled One Of The
Thermometers, Kept The Rain-Gauge, And Undertook The Photography;
But After A Time I
Sent the instruments back, considering this
work too severe for the climate, and he tried instead sketching
with watercolours - the
Results of which form the chief part of
the illustrations in this book. The rest of our day went in
breakfasting after the march was over - a pipe, to prepare us for
rummaging the fields and villages to discover their contents for
scientific purposes - dinner close to sunset, and tea and pipe
before turning in at night.
A short stage brought us to Ikamburu, included in the district of
Nzasa, where there is another small village presided over by
Phanze Khombe la Simba, meaning Claw of Lion. He, immediately
after our arrival, sent us a present of a basket of rice, value
one dollar, of course expecting a return - for absolute generosity
is a thing unknown to the negro. Not being aware of the value of
the offering, I simply requested the Sheikh to give him four
yards of American sheeting, and thought no more about the matter,
until presently I found the cloth returned. The "Sultan" could
not think of receiving such a paltry present from me, when on the
former journey he got so much; if he showed this cloth at home,
nobody would believe him, but would say he took much more and
concealed it from his family, wishing to keep all his goods to
himself. I answered that my footing in the country had been paid
for on the last journey, and unless he would accept me as any
other common traveller, he had better walk away; but the little
Sheikh, a timid, though very gentlemanly creature, knowing the
man, and dreading the consequences of too high a tone, pleaded
for him, and proposed as a fitting hongo, one dubuani, one
sahari, and eight yards merikani, as the American sheeting is
called here. This was pressed by the jemadar, and acceded to by
myself, as the very utmost I could afford. Lion's Claw, however,
would not accept it; it was too far below the mark of what he got
last time. He therefore returned the cloths to the Sheikh, as he
could get no hearing from myself, and retreated in high dudgeon,
threatening the caravan with a view of his terrible presence on
the morrow. Meanwhile the little Sheikh, who always carried a
sword fully two-thirds the length of himself, commenced casting
bullets for his double-barrelled rifle, ordered the Wanguana to
load their guns, and came wheedling up to me for one more cloth,
as it was no use hazarding the expedition's safety for four yards
of cloth. This is a fair specimen of tax-gathering, within
twelve miles of the coast, by a native who claims the protection
of Zanzibar. We shall soon see what they are further on. The
result of experience is, that, ardent as the traveller is to see
the interior of Africa, no sooner has he dealings with the
natives, than his whole thoughts tend to discovering some road
where he won't be molested, or a short cut, but long march, to
get over the ground.
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