and certainly neither George nor I — would have
submitted for a moment to being bound by our
people, and led as prisoners to the coast. Such an
action had never been attempted in the history of
African exploration. It was quite possible, judging
from the whole series of Hamidi’s actions after his
return from Zanzibar, considering the method in
which my instructions had been carried out there —
the fact that, instead of twenty well-armed men and
some donkeys, I had been furnished with a disorderly
rabble of eighty unarmed and insubordinate men —
that he must have received something stronger than
a hint that such was the pleasure of the people in
power at the coast. I was unwilling to come to such
a conclusion, but reason is cogent. The reader can
see that I frankly state the impressions made upon
me at the time; I would gladly erase them not only
from my mind, but from this record. Unfortunately
this is impossible; for the events which occurred
after my arrival at Zanzibar, and the treatment I
there received at the hands of the local authorities,
enforced the opinion that, strange though these impressions
may appear, nevertheless they are very near
the truth.
My one idea was to get to the coast quickly,
clear up the whole matter connected with the desertion
of the men, and relieve the anxiety of my
friends at home. Nothing but the return of Hassan
and his men from Sayer prevented immediate departure.
It was with feelings of anything but pleasure,
that I daily regarded my storehouses filled with
sufficient food for a large caravan for many days,
and looked at the large pile of carefully packed
trading-goods; all of which were of no further use to
me. Setting aside the thought of the destruction of
my hopes, I knew that these trading-goods and the
stores of food represented an expenditure exceeding
$9000 (U. S. money). In fact, I doubt whether
they could have been got together and transported
to Daitcho for that sum.
On January 7 I called the traders, and distributed
among them many loads of my goods. It was matter
of some amusement to note their reception of the
articles. Their thanks were given in a most perfunctory
way, and they took it for granted that my action
was only just and proper. Hassan had been gone
fifteen days, and to my mind (by this time suspicious
of everything) it seemed probable that he did not intend
to return, but had decided to cast his lot with
the traders, and make use of the goods and food I
had left at Sayer to trade on his own account among
the Wanderobbo. Two members of the Zanzibari
caravan came to me on this day, and said they wished
to return to the coast; and I gladly enlisted them.
On January 8 I called Bykender, and told him to
bring as many of the natives of Daitcho as he could
gather together, as I wished to distribute among them
several tons of food, which I had stored in my granary.
Soon the place in front of the zeriba was black
with people, particularly women, who brought with
them bags and other receptacles for carrying away
the grain. Nearly three tons of beans and flour was
given out to them, and they went away, not rejoicing
or apparently grateful, but more or less disap