wounded some men previously in his wild excesses, and
had been tied u p ; but now, breaking loose again, he swore
he would not be satisfied until he killed some “ big man.”
His strength was so great no one could confine him,
though they hunted him into a hut, where, having seized
a gun and some arrows, he defied any one to put hands on
him. Here, however, he was at last reduced to submission
and a better state of his senses by starvation; for I must
add, the African is much given to such mental fits of
aberration at certain periods: these are generally harmless,
but sometimes n o t; but they come and they go again
without any visible cause.
1 si.-f—Musa’s men now started for Eungiia, and promised
to bring all the porters we wanted by the first day
of the next moon. We found that this would be early
enough, for all the members of the expedition, excepting
myself, were suffering from the effects of the wilderness
life—some with fever, some with scurvy, and some
with ophthalmia—which made it desirable they should
all have rest. Little now was done besides counting
out my property, and making Sheikh Said, who became
worse and worse, deliver his charge of Cafila Bashi over
to Bombay for good. When it was found so much had
been stolen, especially of the best articles, I was obliged to
purchase many things from Miisa, paying 400 per cent,
which he said was their value here, over the market price
of Zanzibar. I also got him to have all my coils of brass
and copper wire made into bracelets, as is customary, to
please the northern people.
7th.—To-day information was brought here that whilst
Manila Sera was on his way from Ugogo to keep his
appointment with me, Sheikh Snay’s army came on
him at Tfira, where he was ensconced in a tembe.
Hearing this, Snay, instead of attacking the village at
once, commenced negotiations with the chief of the
place by demanding him to set free his guest, otherwise
they, the Arabs, would storm the tembó. The chief,
unfortunately, did not comply at once, but begged grace
for one night, saying that if Manùa Séra was found there
in the morning they might do as they liked. Of course
Manila, bolted; and the Arabs, seeing the Tilra people
all under arms ready to defend themselves the next
morning, set at them in earnest, and shot, murdered,
or plundered the whole of the district. Then, whilst
Arabs were sending in their captures of women, children,
and cattle, Manila Séra made off to a district called Dara,
where he formed an alliance with its chief, Kifunja, and
boasted he would attack Kazé as soon as the travelling
season commenced, when the place would be weakened by
the dispersion of the Arabs on their ivory excursions.
This startling news set the place in a blaze, and
brought all the Arabs again to seek my advice ; for they
condemned what Snay had done in not listening to me
before, and wished to know if I could not now treat
for them with Manila Séra, which they thought could be
easily managed, as Manila Séra himself was not only the
first to propose mediation, but was actually on his way
here for the purpose when Snay opposed him. I said
nothing could give me greater pleasure than mediating
for them, to put a stop to these horrors, but it struck me
the case had now gone too far. Snay, in opposition to my
advice, was bent on fighting; he could not be recalled;
and mil ess all the Arabs were of one mind, I ran the risk
of committin g myself to a position I could not maintain.
To this they replied that the majority were still at Kazé,
all wishing for peace at any price, and that whatever
terms I might wish to dictate they would agree to.
Then I said, “What would you do with Mkisiwa? you
have made him chief, and cannot throw him over.” “ Oh,
that,” they said, “ can be easily managed ; for formerly,
when we confronted Manila Séra at Kgurfi, we offered
to give him as much territory as his father governed,