C H A P T E R XI
T he next day we left the Tana, and after a short
march reached Mitio’s village. Mitio was a great
man in this part of Ukambani. A t the time I arrived
at this village he had gone with 600 warriors to fight
the Rendile, in revenge for their slaughter of twenty
of his men during the previous autumn. There I
found my faithful Somali, Abdee Achmet, who had
been left by George in charge of-the donkeys. He
had been deserted by his companions, and he had
with him then twenty-five donkeys and forty-three
goats. His account of the appearance and behaviour
of the runaways was as follows.
He said that at first there came some sixty porters
led by Mwalim Hamis, who was their leader on the
day they deserted from Daitcho. These men fired
repeated volleys, and then took all the food he had
bought for me, — about 500 pounds. Two days later
came the Beloochi and their party, who had been
ferried across the Tana in our canoe, upon payment
of all their trading-goods. Gwaharam said he had
wished to return and help me; but Hamidi said he
would shoot him if he attempted to cross the river.
Hamidi stayed at the river until the Soudanese came,
and then, four days after the porters arrived at Mitio’s
village, Hamidi and the Soudanese put in an appearance.
The Soudanese told their story about the
chains; moreover, they said that their time was up.
Upon Hamidi’s arrival at Mitio’s village, he at once
cut up the loads George had left there for me, and
divided them among his men. Abdee Achmet and
Gwaharam remonstrated with him, but Hamidi insisted
upon taking them; whereupon Gwaharam said: “ I
will bear witness to your conduct at the coast.” Then
the men cut up all the ox-hides I had left for donkey
saddles. When Abdee Achmet remonstrated, some of
the men threatened to shoot him. He said the men
seemed to throw aside all restraint, and to be governed
by no particular impulse. Some were for going
down the Tana to join the Arab, Suliman Kemenya,
and, becoming his followers, to wage war against the
English. Others, already timid at the behaviour of
their companions, and doubtful whether they should
receive any pay at the coast, wished to return to me
at Daitcho; but the counsels of Hamidi and his ringleaders
prevailed, and the whole party, after a stop of
one day at Mitio’s village, marched for Mombasa.
Hamidi said that the reason they had left me was
that their time was up, and that he was convinced
he should get his pay either from General Matthews
or the Sultan of Zanzibar.
• A t Mitio’s village we remained one day purchasing
food. All this portion of Ukambani is in a capital
state of cultivation, two kinds of millet being staples;
but there are also many plantations of Indian corn
and pumpkins. Before we set out from this place
two or three men came to me and offered their services
as guides; which offer we foolishly accepted.