8th and 9th.—We had a summons to attend at the
Kafii palace with the medicine-chest, a few select persons
only to be present. It rained so much on the 8th as to
stop the visit, but we went next day. After arriving
there, and going through the usual salutations, Kamrasi
asked us from what stock of people we came, explaining his
meaning by saying, “ As we, Rtimanika, Mtdsa, and the rest
of us (enumerating the kings), are Wawitti (or princes),
Uwitii (or the country of princes) being to the east.”
This interesting announcement made me quite forget to
answer his question, and induced xhe to say, “ Omwita,
indeed, was the ancient name for Mombas, if you came
from that place : I know all about your race for two thousand
years or more. Omwita, you mean, was the last
country you resided in before you came here, but originally
you came from Abyssinia, the sultan of which, our
great friend, is Sahdla Sdlassie.”
He pronounced this name laughing, and said, “ Formerly
our stock was half-white and half-black, with one side of
our heads covered with straight hair, and the other side
frizzly: you certainly do know everything.” The subject
then turned upon medicine, and, after inspecting the chest,
and inquiring into all its contents, it ended by his begging
for the half of everything. The mosquito-curtains were
again asked for, and refused until I should leave this As
Kamrasi was anxious I should take two of his children to
England to be instructed, I agreed to do so, but said I
thought it would be better if he invited missionaries to
come here and educate all his family. His cattle were
much troubled with sickness, dying in great numbers—
could I cure them ? As he again began to persecute us
with begging, wanting knives and forks, &c., I advised his
using ivory as money, and purchasing what he wanted
from Gani. This brought out the interesting fact, the
truth of which we had never reached before, that when
Petherick’s servant brought him one necklace of beads,
and asked after us, he gave in return fourteen ivories,
thirteen women, and seven mbQgfi cloths. One of his
men accompanied the visitors back to the boats, and saw
Petherick, who took the ivory and rejected the women.
10th.—At 2 p .m. we were called by Kamrasi to visit
him at the Kafii palace again, and requested to bring a
lot of medicines tied up in various coloured cloths, so that
he might know what to select for different ailments. We
repaired there as before, putting the medicines into the
sextant-stand box, and found him lying at full length on
the platform of his throne, with a glass-bead necklace of
various colours, and a charm tied on his left arm. Nobody
was allowed to be present at our interview. The medicines,
four varieties, were weighed out into ten doses each,
and their uses and effects explained. He begged for four
bottles to put them in, till he was laughed out of it by
our saying he required forty bottles; for if the powders
were mixed, how could he separate them again ? And to
keep his mind from the begging tack, which he was getting
alarmingly near, I said, “Now I have given you these
things because you would insist on having them. I must
also tell you they are dangerous in your hands, in consequence
of your being ignorant of their properties. If you
take my advice you won’t meddle with them until the
two children you wish educated have learnt the use of
them in England; and if I have to take boys from this, I
hope they will be of your family.” He said, “ You speak
like a father to us, and we very much approve. Here is
a pot of pombd; I did not give you one yesterday.”
11th.—To-day, the king having graciously granted permission,
we went out shooting, but saw only a few buffalo
tracks.
12th.—The Kamraviona was sent to inquire after our
health, and to ascertain from me all I knew respecting
the origin of Kamrasi’s tribe, the distribution of countries,
and the seat of the government I sent the king a diagram,