After Tracking Through Several Miles Of Low Bush-Jungle, We Came
To The Sites Of Some Old Bomas That Had Been Destroyed By The
Watuta Not Long Since.
Farther on, as we wished to enter a
newly- constructed boma, the chief of which was Mafumbu Wantu (a
Mr Balls), we felt the effects of those ruthless marauders; for
the villagers, thinking us Watuta in disguise, would not let us
in; for those savages, they said, had once tricked them by
entering their village, pretending to be traders carrying ivory
and merchandise, whilst they were actually spies. This was
fortunate for me, however, as Mr Balls, like M'yonga, was noted
for his extortions on travellers. We then went on and put up in
the first village of Bogue, where I wished to get porters and
return for Grant, as the place seemed to be populous. Finding,
however, that I could not get a sufficient number for that
purpose, I directed those who wished for employment to go off at
once and take service with Grant.
I found many people assembled here from all parts of the
district, for the purpose of fighting M'yonga; but the chief
Ruhe, having heard of my arrival, called me to his palace, which,
he said, was on my way, that he might see me, for he never in all
his life had a white man for his guest, and was so glad to hear
of my arrival that he would give orders for the dispersing of his
forces. I wished to push past him, as I might be subjected to
such calls every day; but Ungurue, in the most piggish manner -
for he was related to Ruhe - insisted that neither himself nor
any of his children would advance one step farther with me unless
I complied with their wish, which was a simple conformity with
the laws of their country, and therefore absolute. At length
giving in, I entered Ruhe's boma, the poles of which were decked
with the skulls of his enemies stuck upon them. Instead,
however, of seeing him myself, as he feared my evil eye, I
conducted the arrangements for the hongo through Baraka, in the
same way as I did at M'yonga's, directing that it should be
limited to the small sum of one barsati and four yards kiniki.
The drum was beaten, as the public intimation of the payment of
the hongo, and consequently of our release, and we went on to
Mihambo, on the west border of the eastern division of Uzinza,
which is called Ukhanga. It overlooks the small district of
Sorombo, belonging to the great western division, known as Usui,
and is presided over by a Sorombo chief, named Makaka, whose
extortions had been so notorious that no Arabs now ever went near
him. I did not wish to do so either, though his palace lay in
the direct route. It was therefore agreed we should skirt round
by the east of this district, and I even promised the Pig I would
give him ten necklaces a-day in addition to his wages, if he
would avoid all the chiefs, and march steadily ten miles every
day.
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