Rather Reluctantly I Did As I Was Bid, And Allowed Myself
Once More To Be Dragged Into Court.
Rumanika, as gentle as ever,
then burst into a fresh fit of merriment, and after making sundry
enlightened remarks of enquire, which of course were responded to
with the greatest satisfaction, finished off by saying, with a
very expressive shake of the head, "Oh, these Wazungu, these
Wazungu!
They know and do everything."
I then put in a word for myself. Since we had entered Karague we
never could get one drop of milk either for love or for money,
and I wished to know what motive the Wahuma had for withholding
it. We had heard they held superstitious dreads; that any one who
ate the flesh of pigs, fish, or fowls, or the bean called
Maharague, if he tasted the products of their cows, would destroy
their cattle - and I hoped he did not labour under any such
absurd delusions. To which he replied, It was only the poor who
thought so; and as he now saw we were in want, he would set apart
one of his cows expressly for our use. On bidding adieu, the
usual formalities of handshaking were gone through; and on
entering camp, I found the good thoughtful king had sent us some
more of his excellent beer.
The Wanguana were now all in the highest of good-honour; for time
after time goats and fowls were brought into camp by the officers
of the king, who had received orders from all parts of the
country to bring in supplies for his guests; and this kind of
treatment went on for a month, though it did not diminish my
daily expenditures of beads, as grain and plantains were not
enough thought of.
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