pose. Here the knotty question arose again, what territory
they, the Arabs, would give to Manüa Sera ? I thought
he would not be content unless he got the old place again;
but as Cyclops said no, that was not in his opinion absolutely
necessary, as the lands of Unyanyembé had once
before been divided, the matter was settled on the condition
that another conference should be held with Manüa
Sera himself on the subject.
I now (8th and 9th) sent these men all oif again, inviting
Manüa Sera to come over and settle matters at once, if he
would, otherwise I should go on with my journey, for I
could not afford to wait longer here. Then, as soon as
they left, I made Müsa order some of his men off to
Iiungüa, requesting the chief of the place to send porters
to Mininga to remove all our baggage over to his palace;
at the same time I begged him not to fear the Watüta’s
threat to attack him, as Müsa would come as soon as the
treaty was concluded, in company with me, to build a boma
alongside his palace, as he did in former years, to be nearer
his trade with Karagüé. I should have mentioned, by the
way, that Müsa had now made up his mind not to go further
than the borders of Usüi with me, lest I should be “ tom
to pieces,” and he would be “ held responsible on the
coast.” Musa’s men, however, whom he selected for this
business, were then engaged making Mussulmans of all
the Arab slave boys, and said they would not go until
they had finished, although I offered to pay the “ doctor’s
bill,” or allowance they expected to get. The ceremony, at
the same time that it helps to extend their religion, as
christening does ours, also stamps the converts with a mark
effective enough to prevent desertion; because, after it has
been performed, their own tribe would not receive them
again. At last, when they did go, Müsa, who was suffering
from a sharp illness, to prove to me that he was bent on
leaving Kazé the same time as myself, began eating what
he called his training pills—small dried buds of roses with
alternate bits of sugar-candy. Ten of these buds, he said,
eaten dry, were sufficient for ordinary cases, and he gave
a very formidable description of the effect likely to follow
the use of the same number boiled in rice-water or milk.
Fearful stories of losses and distress came constantly
in from Ugogo by small bodies of men, who stole their
way through the jungles. To-day a tremendous commotion
took place in Müsa’s tembé amongst all the women,
as one had been delivered of still-born twins. They went
about in procession, painted and adorned in the most
grotesque fashion, bewailing and screeching, singing and
dancing, throwing their arms and legs about as if they
were drunk, until the evening set in, when they gathered
a huge bundle of bulrushes, and, covering it over with a
cloth, carried it up to the door of the bereaved on their
shoulders, as though it had been a coffin. Then setting
it down on the ground, they planted some of the rushes
on either side of the entrance, and all kneeling together,
set to bewailing, shrieking, and howling incessantly for
hours together.
After this (10th to 12th), to my great relief, quite unexpectedly,
a man arrived from Usüi conveying a present
of some ivories from a great mganga or magician, named
Dr K’yengo, who had sent them to Müsa as a recollection
from an old friend, begging at the same time for some
pretty cloths, as he said he was then engaged as mtongi
or caravan director, collecting together all the native caravans
desirous of making a grand march to Uganda. This
seemed to me a heaven-born opportunity of making friends
with one who could help me so materially, and I begged
Müsa to seal it by sending him something on my account,
as I had nothing by me ; but Müsa objected, thinking it
better simply to say I was coming, and if he, K’yengo,
would assist me in Usüi, I would then give him some
cloths as he wanted; otherwise, Müsa said, the man who
had to convey it would in all probability make away with