At last, after thousands of difficulties much like those
To camp ¡n Bush, I encountered in Uzaramo, the hongo was
settled by a payment of. one kisiitu, one
dubuani, four yards bendera, four yards kiniki, and three
yards merikani. The wazir then thought he would do
some business on his own account, and commenced work
by presenting me with a pot of ghee and flour, saying at
the same time “ empty words did not show true love,”
and hoping that I would prove mine by making some
slight return. To get rid of the animal, I gave him the
full value of his present in cloth, which he no sooner
pocketed than he had the audacity to accuse Grant of
sacrilege for having shot a lizard on a holy stone, and
demanded four cloths to pay atonement for this offence
against the “ church.” As yet, he said, the chief was not
aware of the damage done, and it was well he was not ;
for he would himself, if I only paid him the four cloths,
settle matters quietly, otherwise there would be no knowing
what demands might be made on my cloth. It was
necessary to get up hot temper, else there was no knowing
how far he would go; so I returned him his presents,
and told the sheikh, instead of giving four, to fling six
cloths in his face, and tell him that the holy-stone story
Was merely a humbug, and I would take care no more
white men ever came to see him again.
Some Wanyamuezi porters, who had been left sick here
by former caravans, now wished to take service with me
as far as Kaze; but the Wagogo, hearing of their desire,
frightened them off it. A report also at this time was
brought to us, that a caravan had just arrived at our last
ground, having come up from Whindi, direct by the line
of the Wami river, in its upper course called Miikon-
dokua, without crossing a single hill all the way; I therefore
sent three men to see if they had any porters to spare,
as it was said they had; but the three men, although
they left their bows and arrows behind, never came back.
Another mule died to-day. This was perplexing indeed,
but to stop longer was useless; so we pushed forward
as best we could to a pond at the western end of
the district, where we found a party of Makua sportsmen
who had just killed an elephant. They had lived in
Ugogo one year and a half, and had killed in all seventeen
elephants; half the tusks of which, as well as some
portion of the flesh, they gave to Magomba for the privilege
of residing there. There were many antelopes there,
some of which both Grant and I shot for the good of the
pot, and he also killed a crocuta hyena. From the pond
we went on to the middle of a large jungle, and bivouacked
for the night in a shower of rain, the second of
the season.
During a fierce down-pour of rain, the porters all
quivering and quaking with cold, we at
To Usekhi, ith. emerged from the jungle, and entered
the prettiest spot in Ugogo—the populous district
of Usekhe—where little hills and huge columns of granite
crop out. Here we halted.
Next day came the hongo business, which was settled
by paying one dubuani, one kitambi, one
Halt, 5th. four yar(js merikani, and two yards
kiniki; but whilst we were doing it eight porters ran
away, and four fresh ones were engaged (Wanyamiiezi)
who had run away from Kanyenye.
With one more march from this we reached the last
district in Ugogo, Khoko. Here the whole
To Khoko, 6th. ^ ^ ^kabife&nts turned out to oppose us,
im a g i n i n g we had come there to revenge the Arab, Mo-
hinna, because the Wagogo attacked him a year ago,
plundered his camp, and drove him back to Naze, for
having shot their old chief “ Short-legs.” They, however,
no sooner found out who we were than they allowed
us to pass on and encamp in the outskirts of the Mgunda
M V h a li wilderness. To this position in the bush I strongly