and twelve porters came forward, who no sooner left, than
in came another letter from Grant, informing me that he
had collected almost enough men to march with, and that
M’yonga had returned one of the six missing loads, and
promised to right him in everything.
Next day, however, I had from Grant two very opposite
accounts—one, in the morning, full of exultation, in which
he said he hoped to reach Ruhe’s this very day, as his
complement of porters was then completed; while by the
other, which came in the evening, I was shocked to hear
that M’yonga, after returning all the loads, much reduced
by rifling, had demanded as a hongo two guns, two boxes
ammunition, forty brass wires, and 160 yards of American
sheeting, in default of which he, Grant, must lend M’yonga
ten Wanguana to build a boma on the west of his district,
to enable him to fight some Wasonga who were invading
his territory, otherwise he would not allow Grant to move
from his palace. Grant kne w not what to do. He dared
not part with the guns, because he knew it was against
my principle, and therefore deferred the answer until he
heard from me, although all his already collected porters
were getting fidgety, and two had bolted. In this fearful
fix I sent Baraka off with strict orders to bring Grant
away at any price, except the threatened sacrifice of men,
guns, and ammunition, which I would not listen to, as
one more day’s delay might end in further exactions ; at
the same time, I cautioned him to save my property as far
as he could, for it was to him that M’yonga had formerly
said that what I paid him should do for all.
Some of M’yonga’s men who had plundered Grant now
“ caught a Tartar.” After rifling his loads of a kilyndo, or
bark box of beads, they, it appeared, received orders from
M’yonga to sell a lot of female slaves, amongst whom were
the two Wahilma women who had absconded from this.
The men in charge, not knowing their history, brought
them for sale into this district, where they were.instantly
recognised by some of Lumerdsi’s men, and brought in
to him. The case was not examined at once, Liimeresi
happening to be absent; so, to make good their time, the
men in charge brought their beads to me to be exchanged
for something else, not knowing that both camps were
mine, and that they held my beads and not Grant’s. Of
course I took them from them, but did not give them a
flogging, as I knew if I did so they would at once retaliate
upon Grant. The poor Wahiima women, as soon as
Liimeresi arrived, were put to death by their husbands,
because, by becoming slaves, they had broken the laws of
their race.
22d to 24th.—At last I began to recover. All this
exciting news, with the prospect of soon seeing Grant,
did me a world of good,—so much so, that I began
shooting small birds for specimens—watching the blacksmiths
as they made tools,. spears, and bracelets—and
B la ck sm ith 's Shop,
doctoring some of the Waliuma women who came to be
treated for ophthalmia, in return for which they gave me
milk. The milk, however, I could not bod excepting in
secrecy, else they would have stopped their donations on
the plea that this process would be an incantation or
bewitchment, from which their cattle would fall sick and