Then, Turning To Us, He Said, "Why Have You Not Brought The
Medicine-Chest And The Saw?
We wish to see everything you have
got, though we do not wish to rob you." When these things came
for inspection, he coveted the saw, and discovered there were
more varieties of medicine in the chest than had been given him.
This he was told was not the case, because the papers given him
contained mixed medicines - a little being taken from every
bottle. "But there are no pills; why won't you give us pills?
We have men, women, and children who require pills as well as you
do." We were much annoyed by this dogged begging; and as he
said, "Well, if you won't give my anything, I will go," we at
once rose, hat in hand; when, regretting the hastiness of his
speech, he begged us to be seated again, and renewed his demands.
We told him the road to Gani was the only condition on which we
would part with any more medicine; we had asked leave to go a
hundred times, and that was all we now desired. At last he rose
and walked off in a huff; but, repenting before he reached home,
he sent us a pot of pombe, when, in return, I finished the farce
by sending him a box of pills.
30th. - I gave Msalima a letter in the Kisuahili or coast language
to convey to Rumanika, ordering all my property to be sent here,
his account of the things as they left him to be given to Msalima
to convey to the coast, while I sent him one pound of gunpowder
as a sort of agency fee.
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