been settled for one barsati, one lugoi,
and six yards merikani. Baraka approached me triumphantly, saying
how well he had managed the business. M'yonga did not wish to see me,
because he did not know the coast language. He was immensely pleased
with the present I had given him, and said he was much and very unjustly
abused by the Arabs, who never came this way, saying he was a bad man.
He should be very glad to see Grant, and would take nothing from him;
and, though he did not see me in person, he would feel much affronted if
I did not stop the night there. In the meanwhile he would have the cows
brought in, for he could not allow any one to leave his country abused
in any way.

My men had greatly amused him by firing their guns off and showing him
the use of their sword-bayonets. I knew, as a matter of course, that if
I stopped any longer I should be teased for more cloths, and gave orders
to my men to march the same instant, saying, if they did not--for I saw
them hesitate--I would give the cows to the villagers, since I knew that
was the thing that weighed on their minds. This raised a mutiny. No one
would go forward with the two cows behind; besides which, the day was
far spent, and there was nothing but jungle, they said, beyond. The
kirangozi would not show the way, nor would any man lift a load. A great
confusion ensued. I knew they were telling lies, and would not enter the
village, but shot the cows when they arrived, for the villagers to eat,
to show them I cared for nothing but making headway, and remained out in
the open all night. Next morning, sure enough, before we could get under
way, M'yonga sent his prime minister to say that the king's sisters and
other members of his family had been crying and tormenting him all night
for having let me off so cheaply--they had got nothing to cover their
nakedness, and I must pay something more. This provoked fresh squabbles.
The drums had beaten and the tax was settled; I could not pay more. The
kirangozi, however, said he would not move a peg unless I gave something
more, else he would be seized on his way back. His "children' all said
the same; and as I thought Grant would only be worsted if I did not keep
friends with the scoundrel, I gave four yards more merikani, and then
went on my way.

For the first few miles there were villagers, but after that a long
tract of jungle, inhabited chiefly by antelopes and rhinoceros. It was
wilder in appearance than most part