who said, for his
master, that Manua Sera desired nothing more than peace, and to make
friends with the Arabs; but as nothing was settled about deposing
Mkisiwa, he could not come over here. Could the Arabs, was Manua Sera's
rejoinder, suppose for a moment that he would voluntarily divide
his dominion with one whom he regarded as his slave! Death would be
preferable; and although he would trust his life in the Mzungu's hands
if he called him again, he must know it was his intention to hunt
Mkisiwa down like a wild animal, and would never rest satisfied until
he was dead. The treaty thus broke down; for the same night Cyclops
decamped like a thief, after brandishing an arrow which Manua Sera had
given him to throw down as a gauntlet of defiance to fight Mkisiwa to
death. After this the Arabs were too much ashamed of themselves to come
near me, though invited by letter, and Musa became so ill he would not
take my advice and ride in a hammock, the best possible cure for
his complaint; so, after being humbugged so many times by his
procrastinations, I gave Sheikh Said more letters and specimens, with
orders to take the Tots down to the coast as soon as practicable, and
started once more for the north, expecting very shortly to hear of
Musa's death, though he promised to follow me the very next day or die
in the attempt, and he also said he would bring on the four men required
by Suwarora; for I was fully satisfied in my mind that he would have
marched with me then had he had the resolution to do so at all.

Before I had left the district I heard that Manua Sera had collected a
mixed force of Warori, Wagogo, and Wasakuma, and had gone off to Kigue
again, whilst the Arabs and Mkisiwa were feeding their men on beef
before setting out to fight him. Manua Sera, it was said, had vast
resources. His father, Fundi Kira, was a very rich man, and had buried
vast stores of property, which no one knew of but Manua Sera, his heir.
The Wanyamuezi all inwardly loved him for his great generosity, and
all alike thought him protected by a halo of charm-power so effective
against the arms of the Arabs that he could play with them just as he
liked.

On crossing Unyambewa (14th), when I a third time put up with my old
friend the sultana, her chief sent word to say he hoped I would visit
him at his fighting boma to eat a cow which he had in store for me, as
he could not go home and enjoy the society of his wife whilst the war
was going on; si