We Must Not, He Said,
Talk About Bombay Any More, Because Everybody Said He Was
Detained By The N'yanswenge (Petherick's Party), And Would Return
Here With The New Moon.
I would not accept the lie, saying, How
can my "children" at Gani detain my messengers, when they have
received strict orders from me by letter to send an answer
quickly?
It was all Kamrasi's doing, for he had either hidden
Bombay, or ordered his officers to take him slowly, as he did us,
stopping four days at each stage.
Frij again told me he was present when Said Said, the Sultan of
Zanzibar, sent an army to assist the Wagunya at Amu, on the
coast, against the incursions of the Masai. These Amu people
have the same Wahuma features as Kamrasi, whom they also resemble
both in general physical appearance, and in many of them having
circular marks, as if made by cautery, on the forehead and
temples. These marks I took not to be tatooing or decorative,
but as a cure for disease - cautery being a favourite remedy with
both races.
The battle lasted only two days, though the Masai brought a
thousand spears against the Arabs' cannon. But this was not the
only battle Said Said had to fight on those grounds; for some
years previously he had to subdue the Waziwa, who live on very
marshy land, into respect for his sovereignty, when the battle
lasted years, in consequence of the bad nature of the ground, and
the trick the Waziwa had of staking the ground with spikes. The
Wasuahili, or coast-people, by his description, are the bastards
or mixed breeds who live on the east coast of Africa, extending
from the Somali country to Zanzibar. Their language is Kisuahili;
but there is no land Usuahili, though people talk of going to the
Suahili in the same vague sense as they do of going to the
Mashenzi, or amongst the savages. The common story amongst the
Wasuahili at Zanzibar, in regard to the government of that
island, was, that the Wakhadim, or aborigines of Zanzibar, did
not like the oppressions of the Portuguese, and therefore allied
themselves to the Arabs of Muscat - even compromising their
natural birthright of freedom in government, provided the Arabs,
by their superior power, would secure to them perpetual equity,
peace and justice. The senior chief, Sheikh Muhadim, was the
mediator on their side, and without his sanction no radial
changes compromising the welfare of the land could take place;
the system of arbitration being, that the governing Arab on the
one side, and the deputy of the Wakhadim on the other, should
hold conference with a screen placed between them, to obviate all
attempts at favour, corruption, or bribery.
The former report of the approach of my men, with as many Waganda
and cows for me, turned out partly false, inasmuch as only one of
my men was with 102 Waganda, whilst the whole of the deserters
were left behind in Uganda with cows; and Kamrasi hearing this,
ordered all to go back again until the whole of my men should
arrive.
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