no sooner told by the unsuspecting women, than they whipped off their
cloths and ran away with them, allowing their victims to pass me in
a state of absolute nudity. I could stand this thieving no longer.
My goats and other things had been taken away without causing me much
distress of mind, but now, after this shocking event, I ordered my men
to shoot at any thieves that came near them.

This night one was shot, without any mistake about it; for the next
morning we tracked him by his blood, and afterwards heard he had died of
his wound. The Wasui elders, contrary to my expectation, then came and
congratulated us on our success. They thought us most wonderful men,
and possessed of supernatural powers; for the thief in question was a
magician, who until now was thought to be invulnerable. Indeed, they
said Arabs with enormous caravans had often been plundered by these
people; but though they had so many more guns than ourselves, they never
succeeded in killing one.

Nasib then returned to inform us that the king had heard our complaint,
and was sorry for it, but said he could not interfere with the rights
of his officers. He did not wish himself to take anything from us, and
hoped we would come on to him as soon as we had satisfied his officers
with the trifle they wanted. Virembo then sent us some pombe by his
officers, and begged us to have patience, for he was then fleecing
Masudi at the encamping-ground near the palace. This place was alive
with thieves. During the day they lured my men into their huts by
inviting them to dinner; but when they got them they stripped them
stark-naked and let them go again; whilst at night they stone our camp.
After this, one more was shot dead and two others wounded.

I knew that Suwarora's message was all humbug, and that his officers
merely kept about one per cent. of what they took from travellers,
paying the balance into the royal coffers. Thinking I was now well in
for a good fleecing myself, I sent Bombay off to Masudi's camp, to tell
Insangez, who was travelling with him on a mission of his master's, old
Musa's son, that I would reward him handsomely if he would, on arrival
at Karague, get Rumanika to send us his mace here in the same way as
Suwarora had done to help us out of Bogue, as he knew Musa at one time
said he would go with us to Karague in person. When Bombay was gone,
Virembo then deputed Kariwami to take the hongo for both at once, mildly
requiring 40 wires, 80 cl