Her Old Mistress, She Said, Died Well Stricken In
Years; And, As She Had Succeeded Her, The People Of Her
Country
invited Singinya to marry her, because feuds had arisen about the
rights of succession; and it was better a
Prince, whom they
thought best suited by birth and good qualities, should head
their warriors, and keep all in order. At that moment Singinya
was out in the field fighting his enemies; and she was sure, when
he heard I was here, that he would be very sorry he had missed
seeing me.
We next went on to the district of Ukumbi, and put up in a
village there, on approaching which all the villagers turned out
to resist us, supposing we were an old enemy of theirs. They
flew about brandishing their spears, and pulling their bows in
the most grotesque attitudes, alarming some of my porters so much
that they threw down their loads and bolted. All the country is
richly cultivated, though Indian corn at that time was the only
grain ripe. The square, flat-topped tembes had now been left
behind, and instead the villagers lived in small collections of
grass huts, surrounded by palisades of tall poles.
Proceeding on we put up at the small settlement of Usenda, the
proprietor of which was a semi-negro Arab merchant called
Sangoro. He had a large collection of women here, but had himself
gone north with a view to trade in Karague. Report, however,
assured us that he was then detained in Usui by Suwarora, its
chief, on the plea of requiring his force of musketeers to
prevent the Watuta from pillaging his country, for these Watuta
lived entirely on plunder of other people's cattle.
With one move, by alternately crossing strips of forest and
cultivation, studded here and there with small hills of granite,
we forded the Qaunde nullah - a tributary to the Gombe - and
entered the rich flat district of Mininga, where the gingerbread-
palm grows abundantly. The greatest man we found here was a
broken-down ivory merchant called Sirboko, who gave us a good hut
to live in. Next morning, I believe at the suggestion of my
Wanguana, with Baraka at their head, he induced me to stop there;
for he said Rungua had been very recently destroyed by the
Watuta, and this place could afford porters better than it. To
all appearance this was the case, for this district was better
cultivated than any place I had seen. I also felt a certain
inclination to stop, as I was dragging on sick men, sorely
against my feelings; and I also thought I had better not go
farther away from my rear property; but, afraid of doing wrong in
not acting up to Musa's directions, I called up his head men who
were with me, and asked them what they thought of the matter, as
they had lately come from Rungua. On their confirming Sirboki's
story, and advising my stopping, I acceded to their
recommendation, and immediately gave Musa's men orders to look
out for porters.
Hearing this, all my Wanguana danced with delight; and I, fearing
there was some treachery, called Musa's men again, saying I had
changed my mind, and wished to go on in the afternoon; but when
the time came, not one of our porters could be seen. There was
now no help for it; so, taking it coolly, I gave Musa's men
presents, begged them to look sharp in getting the men up, and
trusted all would end well in the long-run. Sirboko's attentions
were most warm and affecting. He gave us cows, rice, and milk,
with the best place he had to live in, and looked after us as
constantly and tenderly as if he had been our father. It seemed
quite unjust to harbour any suspicion against him.
He gave the following account of himself: - He used to trade in
ivory, on account of some Arabs at Zanzibar. On crossing Usui,
he once had a fight with one of the chiefs of the country and
killed him; but he got through all right, because the natives,
after two or three of their number had been killed, dispersed,
and feared to come near his musket again. He visited Uganda when
the late king Sunna was living, and even traded Usoga; but as he
was coming down from these northern countries he lost all his
property by a fire breaking out in a village he stopped in, which
drove him down here a ruined man. As it happened, however, he
put up with the chief of this district, Ugali - Mr Paste - at a
time when the Watuta attacked the place and drove all the
inhabitants away. The chief, too, was on the point of bolting,
when Sirboko prevented him by saying, "If you will only have
courage to stand by me, the Watuta shall not come near - at any
rate, if they do, let us both die together." The Watuta at that
time surrounded the district, crowning all the little hills
overlooking it; but fearing the Arabs' guns might be many, they
soon walked away, and left them in peace. In return for this
magnanimity, and feeling a great security in firearms, Ugali then
built the large enclosure, with huts for Sirboko, we were now
living in. Sirboko, afraid to return to the coast lest he should
be apprehended for debt, has resided here ever since, doing odd
jobs for other traders, increasing his family, and planting
extensively. His agricultural operations are confined chiefly to
rice, because the natives do not like it enough to be tempted to
steal it.
25th to 2d. - I now set to work, collecting, stuffing, and
drawing, until the 2d, when Musa's men came in with three hundred
men, whom I sent on to Kaze at once with my specimens and
letters, directing Musa and Bombay to come on and join us
immediately. Whilst waiting for these men's return, one of
Sirboko's slaves, chained up by him, in the most piteous manner
cried out to me:
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