s, this will complete our present of friendship; now then for the
hongo--I must have exactly double of all you have given." This Sorombo
trick I attributed to the instigation of Makaka, for these savages never
fail to take their revenge when they can. I had doubled back from his
country, and now he was cutting me off in front. I expected as much
when the oily blackguard Mfumbi came over from his chief to ask after my
health; so, judging from my experience with Makaka, I told Lumeresi at
once to tell me what he considered his due, for this fearful haggling
was killing me by inches. I had no more deoles, but would make that up
in brass wire. He then fixed the hongo at fifteen masango or brass wire
bracelets, sixteen cloths of sorts, and a hundred necklaces of samisami
or red coral beads, which was to pay for Grant as well as myself. I paid
it down on the spot; the drums beat the "satisfaction," and I ordered
the march with the greatest relief of mind possible.

But Bui and Nasib were not to be found; they had bolted. The shock
nearly killed me. I had walked all the way to Kaze and back again for
these men, to show mine a good example--had given them pay and treble
rations, the same as Bombay and Baraka--and yet they chose to desert.
I knew not what to do, for it appeared to me that, do what I would,
we would never succeed; and in my weakness of body and mind I actually
cried like a child over the whole affair. I would rather have died
than have failed in my journey, and yet failure seemed at this juncture
inevitable.

8th.--As I had no interpreters, and could not go forward myself, I made
up my mind at once to send back all my men with Bombay, to Grant; after
joining whom, Bombay would go back to Kaze again for other interpreters,
and on his return would pick up Grant, and bring him on here. This
sudden decision set all my men up in a flame; they swore it was no use
my trying to go on to Karague; they would not go with me; they did not
come here to be killed. If I chose to lose my life, it was no business
of theirs, but they would not be witness to it. They all wanted their
discharge at once; they would not run away, but must have a letter of
satisfaction, and then they would go back to their homes at Zanzibar.
But when they found they lost all their arguments and could not move
me, they said they would go back for Grant, but when they had done that
duty, then they would take their leave.

10th to 15th.--This business b