From
the moment Budja drank it he was seized with sickness, and
remained so until he reached the first station in Uganda, when he
died. The facts of the bewitchment had been found out by means
of the perpetrator's wives, who, from the moment the pombe was
drunk, took to precipitate flight, well knowing what effects
would follow, and dreading the chastisement Mtesa would bring
upon their household. We heard, too, that the deserters had
returned to the place they deserted from, with thirty Waganda,
and a present of some cows for me.
14th. - -Kamrasi sent me four parcels of coffee, very neatly
enclosed in rush pith.
15th. - Getting more impatient, and desirous to move on at any
sacrifice, I proposed giving up all claims to my muskets, as well
as the present of cows from Mtesa, if Kamrasi would give us boats
to Gani at once; but the reply was simply, Why be in such a
hurry?
16th. - The Kamraviona was sent to us with a load of coffee, which
Kamrasi had purchased with cowries, and to inquire how we had
slept. Very badly, was the reply, because we knew Bombay would
have been back long ago if Kamrasi was not concealing him
somewhere, and we did not know what he was doing with deserters
and Waganda. Kamrasi then wanted us to paint his mbugu cloths in
different patterns and colours; but we sent him instead six
packages of red-ink powder, and got abused for sauciness. He
then wanted black ink, else how could he put on the red with
taste; but we had none to give him. Next, he asked leave for my
men to shoot cows, before his Kidi visitors, which they did to
his satisfaction, instructing him at the same time to fire powder
with his own rifle; when, triumphant with his success, he
protested he would never use anything but guns again, and threw
away his spear as useless. Bombay, we learned, had reached Gani,
and ought to return in eight days.
17th and 18th. - A large party of Chopi people arrived, by
Kamrasi's orders, to tell the reason which induced them to apply
for guns to the white men at Gani, as it appeared evident they
must have wished to fight their king. The Kidi visitors got
broken heads for helping themselves from the Wanyoro's fields,
and when they cried out against such treatment, were told they
should rob the king, if they wished to rob at all.
19th. - Nothing was done because Kamrasi was dismissing his Kidi
guests, 200, with presents of cows and women.
20th. - Having asked Kamrasi to return my pictures, he sent the
book of birds, but not of animals; and said he could not see us
until a new hut was built, because the old one was flooded by the
Kafu, which had been rising several days.
