nd
good man, though he did stick the hands and heads of his victims on the
poles of his boma as a warning to others. He kept five wives, of whom
the rest paid such respect to the elder one, it was quite pleasing to
see them. A man of considerable age, he did everything the state or
his great establishment required himself. All the men of his district
clapped their hands together as a courteous salutation to him, and
the women curtsied as well as they do at our court--a proof that they
respected him as a great potentate--a homage rarely bestowed on the
chiefs of other small states. Ukulima was also hospitable; for on one
occasion, when another chief came to visit him, he received his guest
and retainers with considerable ceremony, making all the men of the
village get up a dance; which they did, beating the drums and firing off
guns, like a lot of black devils let loose.

We were not the only travellers in misfortune here, for Masudi, with
several other Arabs, all formed in one large caravan, had arrived at
Mchimeka's, and could not advance for want of men. They told me it was
the first time they had come on this line, and they deeply regretted it,
for they had lost 5000 dollar's worth of beads by their porters running
away with their loads, and now they did not know how to proceed. Indeed,
they left the coast and arrived at Kaze immediately in rear of us, and
had, like ourselves, found it as much as they could do even to reach
this, and now they were at a standstill for want of porters.

As all hopes of being able to get any more men were given up, I called
on Bombay and Baraka to make arrangements for my going ahead with the
best of my property as I had devised. They both shook their heads, and
advised me to remain until the times improved, when the Arabs, being
freed from the pressure of war, would come along and form with us a
"sufari ku" or grand march, as Ukulima and every one else had said we
should be torn to pieces in Usui if we tried to cross that district with
so few men. I then told them again and again of the messages I had sent
on to Rumanika in Karague, and to Suwarora in Usui, and begged them
to listen to me, instancing as an example of what could be done by
perseverance the success of Columbus, who, opposed by his sailors'
misgivings, still when on and triumphed, creating for himself immortal
renown.

They gave way at last; so, after selecting all the best of my property,
I formed camp at Phunze, left