cloth. Ukfilima, however, was a very kind and good man,
though he did stick the hands and heads of his victims
on the poles of his boma as a warning to others. He
kept five wives, of whom the rest paid such respect to
the elder one, it was quite pleasing to see them. A man
of considerable age, he did everything the state or his
great establishment required himself. All the men of his
district clapped their hands together as a courteous salutation
to him, and the women curtsied as well as they do
at our court—a proof that they respected him as a great
potentate—a homage rarely bestowed on the chiefs of
other small states. Ukfilima was also hospitable ; for on
one occasion, when another chief came to visit him, he
received his guest and retainers with considerable ceremony,
making all the men of the village get up a dance;
which they did, beating the drums and firing off guns,
like a lot of black devils let loose.
We were not the only travellers in misfortune here, for
Halt at Nanda, Masfidi, with several other Arabs, all formed
i«i to 3 < l i n one large caravan, had arrived at Mchime-
ka’s, and could not advanee for want of men. They told
me it was the first time they had come on this line, and
they deeply regretted it, for they had lost 5000 dollars’
worth of beads by their porters running away with their
loads, and now they did not know how to proceed. Indeed,
they left the coast and arrived at Kaze immediately
in rear of us, and had, like ourselves, found it as much as
they could do even to reach this, and now they were at a
standstill for want of porters.
As all hopes of being able to get any more men were
given up, I called on Bombay and Baraka to make arrangements
for my going ahead with the best of my property
as I had devised. They both shook their heads, and
advised me to remain until the times improved, when the
Arabs, being freed from the pressure of war, would come
along and form with us a “ stifari kfi ” or grand march, as
Ukfilima and every one else had said we should be tom
to pieces in Usfii if we tried to cross that district with so
few men. I then told them again and again of the messages
I had sent on to Rfimanika in Karagfid, and to
Sfiwarora in Usfii, and begged them to listen to me, instancing
as an example of what could be done by perseverance
the success of Columbus, who, opposed by his
sailors’ misgivings, still went on and triumphed, creating
for himself immortal renown.
They gave way at la st; so, after selecting all the best
Form Camp in °f my property, I formed camp at Phfinzfi,
PMnzC 3d. . Ieft Bombay with Grant behind, as I thought
Bombay the best and most honest man I had got, from
his having had so much experience, and then went ahead
by myself, with the Pig as my guide and interpreter, and
Baraka as my factotum. The Wangfiana then all mutinied
for a cloth apiece, saying they would not lift a load
unless I gave it. Of course a severe contest followed; I
said, as I had given them so much before, they could not
want it, and ought to be ashamed of themselves. They
urged, however, they were doing double work, and would
not consent to carry loads as they had done at Mgfinda
Mkhali again.
Arguments were useless, for, simply because they were
Halt in Pksnzi tired of going on, they would not see that
as they were receiving pay every day, they
therefore ought to work every day. However, as they
yielded at last, by some few leaning to my side, I gave
what they asked for, and went to the next village, s t i l l
inefficient in men, as all the Pig’s Watoto could not be
collected together. This second move brought us into a
small village, of which Ghiya, a young man, was chief.
He was very civil to me, and offered to sell me a most
To Ghiya’s, 7th. cliarming young woman, quite the belle of
the country; but as he could not bring me
to terms, he looked over my picture-books with the great