from Karagüé, without any of the rear property. Méri,
still persistent, rejected strengthening medicines, but said,
in a confidential manner, if I would give her a goat to sacrifice
to the Uganga she would recover in no time. There
was something in her manner when she said this that I
did not like—it looked suspicious ; and I contented myself
by saying, “ No, I am a wiser doctor than any in these
lands ; if anybody could cure you, that person is myself :
and further, if I gave you a goat to sacrifice, God would
be angry with both of us for our superstitious credulity;
you must therefore say no more about it.”
2d.—The whole country around the palace was in a
state of commotion to-day, from Maüla and his children
hunting down those officers who had returned from
the war, yet had not paid their respects to the king at the
N’yanza, because they thought they would not be justified
in filin g on him so quickly after their arrival. Maula’s
house, in consequence of this, was full of beef and pombé;
whilst, in his courtyard, men, women, and children, with
feet in stocks, very like the old parish stocks in England,
waited his pleasure, to see what demands he would make
upon them as the price of their release. After anxiously
watching, I found out that Méri was angry with me for
not allowing Ilmas’s woman to live in my house ; and, to
conquer my resolution against it—although I ordered it
with a view to please Ilmas, for he was desperately in love
with her—she made herself sick by putting her finger down
her throat. I scolded her for her obstinacy. She said she
was ill—it was not feigned ; and if I would give her a
goat to sacrifice she would be well at once ; for she had
looked into the magic horn already, and discovered that if
I gave her a goat for that purpose it would prove that I
loved her, and her health would be restored to her at once.
Hallo ! Here was a transformation from the paternal position
into that of a henpecked husband! Somebody, I
smelt at once, had been tampering with my household
■whilst I was away. I commenced investigations, and after
a while found out that Rozaro’s sister had brought a
magician belonging to her family into the hut during my
absence, who had put Mèri up to this trick of extorting a
goat from me, in order that he might benefit by it himself,
for the magician eats the sacrifice, and keeps the skin.
I immediately ordered him to be seized and bound to
the flag-staff, whilst Maiila, Ulédi, Rozaro, and Bombay
were summoned to witness the process of investigation.
Rozaro flew into a passion, and tried to release the
magician as soon as he saw him, affecting intense indignation
that I should take the law into my own hands when
one of Riimanika’s subjects was accused; but only lost his
dignity still more on being told he had acknowledged his
inability to control his men so often when they had misbehaved,
that I scorned to ask his assistance any longer.
He took huff at this, and, as he could not help himself,
walked away, leaving us to do as we liked. The charge
was fully proved. The impudent magician, without leave,
and contrary to all the usages of the country, had entered
and set my house against itself during my absence,
and had schemed to rob me of a goat. I therefore
sentenced him to fifty lashes—twenty-five for the injury
he had inflicted on me by working up a rebellion in my
house, and the remaining twenty-five for attempting
larceny—saying, as he had wanted my goat and its skin,
so now in return I wanted his skin. These words were
no sooner pronounced than the wretched Mòri cried out
against it, saying all the fault was hers : “ Let the stick
skin my back, but spare my doctor ; it would kill me to
see him touched.”
This appeal let me see that there was something in the
whole matter too deep and intricate to be remedied by
my skill. I therefore dismissed her on the spot, and gave
her, as a sister and free woman, to Ulédi and his pretty
Mhttma wife, giving Bombay orders to carry the sentences