The Attempt Failed, As The Arabs Would Not
Sell At A Rate Under 2000 Per Cent.; And I Wrote A
Letter to
Colonel Rigby, ordering up fifty armed men laden with beads and
pretty cloths - which would, I knew, cost
Me œ1000 at the least -
and left once more for the north on the 5th.
Marching slowly, as my men kept falling sick, I did not reach
Grant again until the 11th. His health had greatly improved, and
he had been dancing with Ukulima, as may be seen by the
accompanying woodcut. So, as I was obliged to wait for a short
time to get a native guide for Bui, Nasib and Bombay, who would
show them a jungle-path to Usui, we enjoyed our leisure hours in
shooting guinea-fowls for the pot. A report then came to us that
Suwarora had heard with displeasure that I had been endeavouring
to see him, but was deterred because evil reports concerning him
had been spread. This unexpected good news delighted me
exceedingly; confirmed my belief that Baraka, after all, was a
coward, and induced me to recommend Bombay to make his cowardice
more indisputable by going on and doing what he had feared to do.
To which Bombay replied, "Of course I will. It is all folly
pulling up for every ill wind that blows, because, until one
actually SEES there is something in it, you never can tell
amongst these savages - 'shaves' are so common in Africa.
Besides, a man has but one life, and God is the director of
everything." "Bravo!" said I, "we will get on as long as you
keep to that way of thinking."
At length a guide was obtained, and with him came some of those
men of the Pig's who returned before; for they had a great desire
to go with me, but had been deterred, they said, by Baraka and
the rest of my men. Seeing all this, I changed my plans again,
intending, on arrival at Baraka's camp, to prevail on the whole
of the party to go with me direct, which I thought they could not
now refuse, since Suwarora had sent us an invitation. Moreover,
I did not like the idea of remaining still whilst the three men
went forwards, as it would be losing time.
These separations from Grant were most annoying, but they could
not be helped; so, when all was settled here, I bade him adieu -
both of us saying we would do our best - and set out on my
journey, thinking what a terrible thing it was I could not
prevail on my men to view things as I did. Neither my experience
with native chiefs, nor my money and guns, were of any use to me,
simply because my men were such incomprehensible fools, though
many of them who had travelled before ought to have known better.
More reports came to us about Suwarora, all of the most inviting
nature; but nothing else worth mentioning occurred until we
reached the border of Msalala, where an officer of M'yonga's, who
said he was a bigger man than his chief, demanded a tax, which I
refused, and the dispute ended in his snatching Nasib's gun out
of his hands.
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