report that the Rendile had visited the Embe was
true; but added that it was a small party consisting
entirely of old women and a few old men. They had
informed the Embe of our visit to them, when told
that Lieutenant von Hohnel was wounded, and had
stated that he had received this wound in a battle
with the Rendile, and that we had been driven out
of their country with wonderful ease by that great
tribe. I asked Liria whether he believed the story
or not; and he replied that he did not, but most of
the Embe did. It is upon such foundations that
rumours are started in Africa; and, as they gain a
wide credence, it is necessary from time to time for
a European to take severe measures to repel onslaughts
prompted by the confidence inspired by the falsehood.
I had instructed Hamidi to bring from Zanzibar
as great a variety of seeds as he could obtain; by
means of which I hoped to induce the natives to
increase the productiveness of their rich country. For
some reason or other, the cocoanuts, coffee beans, and
many other varieties proved worthless. I succeeded,
however, in planting papaw and a large quantity of
rice, which is easily cultivated on the banks of the
small streams intersecting this entire country.
The manner in which Hamidi had fulfilled the
careful instructions I had given him was sorely disappointing.
Instead of donkeys and twenty good men,
he had brought with him eighty porters, most of
whom were physically unfit for the work, and all
seemed possessed of the most insubordinate and hostile
spirit. These men, at least those who were fit,
had for the preceding year or two been employed
upon the well-beaten path which leads from the coast
to Uganda. They had been accustomed to regular
marches and rests over a well-known road; and
although the road from the coast to Daitcho could
not in any sense be considered a difficult one, yet
nevertheless, within a few hours of their arrival, they
were complaining of the hardships
of the march they had made, and
saying that Daitcho was no place
for any self-respecting porter.
They had brought a variety of
tales from the coast, principally
highly coloured accounts of the
victories achieved over the Europeans
by the Arabs and outlaws
in the neighbourhood of Lamoo.
They said the time had at last
come when the Arabs were about
to reestablish themselves in Zanzibar
on a firm footing, and that
messengers had come from Mecca
advocating the “ Jehad” (holy war)
T h e L e a d e r o f t h e
against the infidel. After hearing
D a n c e
these stories, I called all my men together, and said
that not for a moment were lies of this sort to be
tolerated in my camp; that any one of my men who
would take the trouble to think for a moment should
know the stories were absolutely untrue; and that I,
being a European, would not permit such rumours to
circulate while I was there to stop them.
I afterwards learned that there had been some
fighting on the coast, and in one case a European