would have a deold, and I would not admit that I had
one.
23c? to 31s£.—Next morning I was too weak to speak
moderately, and roared more like a madman than a
rational being, as, breaking his faith, he persisted in
bullying me. The day after, I took pills and blistered
my chest all over; still Lumdresi would not let me alone,
nor come to any kind of terms until the 25th, when he
said he would take a certain number of pretty common
cloths for his children if I would throw in a red blanket
for himself. I jumped at this concession with the greatest
eagerness, paid down my cloths on the spot; and, thinking
I was free at last, ordered a hammock to be slung on
a pole, that I might leave the next day. Next morning,
however, on seeing me actually preparing to start, LumA
resi found he could not let me go until I increased the
tax by three more cloths, as some of his family complained
that they had got nothing. After some badgering, I paid
what he asked for, and ordered the men to carry me out
of the palace before anything else was done, for I would
not sleep another night where I was. Lumeresi then
stood in my way, and said he would never allow a man
of his country to give me any assistance until I was well,
for he could not bear the idea of hearing it said that,
after taking so many cloths from me, he had allowed me
to die in the jungles—and dissuaded my men from obeying
my orders.
In vain I appealed to his mercy, declaring that the
only chance left me of saving my life would be from the
change of air in the hammock as I marched along. He
would not listen, professing humanity, whilst he meant
plunder; and I now found he was determined not to beat
the drum until I had paid him some more, which he was
to think over and settle next day. When the next day
came, he would not come near me, as he said I must
possess a d^ole, otherwise I would not venture on to
Karag&e; for nobody ever yet “ saw ” Eumanika without
one. This suspension of business was worse than the
rows ; I felt very miserable, and became worse. At last,
on my offering him anything that he might consider an
equivalent for the deole if he would but beat the drums
of satisfactioii, he said I might consider myself his prisoner
instead of his guest if I persisted in my obstinacy
in not giving him E&manika’s deole; and then again
peremptorily ordered all of his subjects not to assist
me in moving a load. After this, veering round for a
moment on the generous tack, he offered me a cow, which
I declined.
l.s£ to 4th.—Still I rejected the offered cow, until the
2d, when, finding him as dogged as ever, at the advice of
my men I accepted it, hoping thus to please him; but
it was no use, for he now said he must have two deoles,
or he would never allow me to leave his palace. Ever}'
day matters got worse and worse. Mfiimbi, the sm a ll
chief of Sorombo, came over, in an Oily-Gammon kind
of manner, to say Makaka had sent him over to present
his compliments to me, and express his sorrow on
hearing that 1 had fallen sick here. He further informed
me that the road was closed between this and Usui, for
he had just been fighting there, and had killed the chief
Gomba, burnt down all his villages, and dispersed all
the men in the jungle, where they now resided, plundering
every man who passed that way. This gratuitous,
wicked, humbugging terrifier helped to cause another
defeat. It was all nonsense, I knew, but both Bui and
Nasib, taking fright, begged for their discharges. In
fearful alarm and anxiety, I then begged them to have
patience and see the hongo settled first, for there was no
necessity, at any rate, for immediate hurry; I wished them
to go on ahead with Bombay, as in four days they could
reach Su war or as. But they said they could not hear of
it they would not go a step beyond this. All the chiefs