perpetual worry had given Baraka a fever, and had made
me feel quite sick; so I said, if he ever mentioned a gun
or lucifers again, I would fight the matter out with him,
for I had not come there to be bullied. He then gave
way, and begged I would allow my men to fire a volley
outside his boma, as the Watiita were living behind a
small line of granitic hills flanking the west of his district,
and he wished to show them what a powerful force he had
got with him. This was permitted; but his wisdom in
showing off was turned into ridicule; for the same evening
the Watiita made an attack on his villages and killed three
of his subjects, but were deterred from committing further
damage by coming in contact with my men, who, as soon
as they saw the Watuta. fighting, fired their muskets off in
the air and drove them away, they themselves at the same
time bolting into my camp, and as usual vaunting their
prowess.
1 then ordered a march for the next morning, and went
out in the fields to take my regular observations for latitude.
Whilst engaged in this operation, Baraka, accompanied
by Wadimoyo (Heart’s-stream), another of my freemen,
approached me in great consternation, whispering to themselves.
They said they had some fearful news to communicate,
which, when 1 heard it, they knew would deter our
progress : it was of such great moment and magnitude,
they thought they could not deliver it then. I said,
“ What nonsense! out with it at once. Are we such
chickens that we cannot speak about matters like men?
out with it at once.”
Then Baraka said, “ I have just heard from Makaka,
that a man who arrived from Usui only a few minutes
ago has said Siiwarora is so angry with the Arabs that he
has detained one caravan of theirs in his country, and,
separating the whole of their men, has placed each of
them in different bomas, with orders to his village officers
that, in case the Watiita came into his country, without
further ceremony they were to be all put to death.” I
said, “ Oh, Baraka, how can you be such a fool ? Do you
not see through this humbug? Makaka only wishes to
keep us here to frighten away the Watuta; for Godsake
be a man, and don’t be alarmed at such phantoms as
these. You always are nagging at me that Bombay is
the ‘big’ and you are the ‘small’ man. Bombay would
never be frightened in this silly way. Now, do you reflect
that I have selected you for this journey, as it would, if
you succeed with me in carrying out our object, stamp
you for ever as a man of great fame. Pray, don’t give
way, but do your best to encourage the men, and let us
march in the morning.” On this as on other occasions of
the same kind, I tried to impart confidence, by explaining,
in allusion to Petherick’s expedition, that I had arranged
to meet white men coming up from the north. Baraka
at last said, “ All right—I am not afraid; I will do as
you desire.” But as the two were walking off, I heard
Wadimoyo say to Baraka, “ Is he not afraid now ? won’t
he go back ?’jS-which, if anything, alarmed me more than
the first intelligence ; for I began to think that they, and
not Makaka, had got up the story.
All night Makaka’s men patrolled the village, drumming
and shouting to keep off the Watuta, and the next morn-
ing, instead of a march, after striking my tent I found
that the whole of my porters, the Pig’s children, were not
to be found. They had gone off and hidden themselves,
saying they were not such fools as to go any farther, as
the Watuta were out, and would cut us up on the road.
This was sickening indeed.
I knew the porters had not gone far, so I told the Pig
to bring them to me, that we might talk the matter over;
but say what I would, they all swore they would not
advance a step farther. Most of them were formerly men
of UtSmbara. The Watuta had invaded their country
and totally destroyed it, killing all their wives and their