a few beads for his wife and for each o f his
children. W e parted about 9.30 A.M. after shaking
hands many times, apparently mutually pleased
with each other. No mention was made to any
native o f Vinyata o f the murder o f K a if Halleck,
lest it might be suspected we charged our new
friends with being cognizant of, or accessory
to, the cruel deed, which would, without doubt,
have caused new complications.
Half an hour after the departure o f the magic
doctor, while many o f the Whngwana were
absent purchasing grain, and others were in the
forest collecting faggots, we heard war-cries.
Imagining that th ey were the muster-call to
resist their neighbours o f Izanjeh, or o f some
tribe to the east, we did not p a y much attention
to them. However, as these peculiar war-cries,
which may be phonetically rendered “ Hehu-a
hehu, appeared to draw nearer, we mustered
a small pa rty on the highest ground o f the
camp, in an attitude o f doubt and enquiry, and
presently saw a large b o d y o f natives, armed
with spears, bows and arrows, and shields,
appear within a hundred yards on a similar
high-ground outside the camp. The sight suggested
to us that th ey had mustered against us,
y e t I could divine no cause o f grievance or
subject o f ^complaint to call forth a warlike
demonstration.
I despatched two unarmed messengers to them
[Javin3kta875‘] HOSTILITIES a t f ir s t AVERTED. 159
to inquire what their intentions were, and to
ascertain the object o f this apparently hostile
mob. The messengers halted midway between
the camp and the crowd, and sitting down, invited
two o f the natives to advance to . them for
a “ shauri.”
W e soon discovered upon the return o f the
messengers that one o f 'the Wangwana had
stolen Some milk, and that the natives had been
aroused to “ make w a r ” * upon us because o f
the theft. T h e y were sent back to inform the
natives that war was wicked and unjust for such
a small crime, and to suggest that they should
fix a price upon the milk, and permit us to
atone for the wrong with a handsome gift.
After some deliberation the proposition was
agreed to. A liberal present o f cloth was made,
and the affair had apparently terminated.
But as this mob was about to retire peacefully
, another large force appeared from the
north. A consultation ensued, at first quietly
enough, but there were one or two prominent
figures there, who raised their voices, the loud,
sharp, and peremptory tones o f which instinctively
warned me that their owners would carry
the day. There was a bellicose activity about
their movements, an emphasis in their gestures,
and a determined wrathful fury about the motion
of head and pose o f b ody that were un-
* “ Make war” is the literal translation of fanya vita.