dislike these simple
creatures altogether, they were such perfect children. If we threw water
at them to drive them away, they came back again, thinking it fun.

Ten days now had elapsed since we came here, still nothing was done
(10th), as Karambule said, because Suwarora had been so fully occupied
collecting an army to punish an officer who had refused to pay his
taxes, had ignored his authority, and had set himself us as king of
the district he was appointed to superintend. After this, at midnight,
Karambule, in an excited manner, said he had seen Suwarora, and it then
was appointed that, not he, but Virembo should take the royal hongo, as
well as the Wahinda, or princes' shares, the next morning--after which
we might go as fast as we liked, for Suwarora was so full occupied with
his army he could not see us this time. Before, however, the hongo could
be paid, I must give the Sirhid and himself twenty brass wires, three
joho, three barsati, twenty strings of mzizima, and one thousand strings
of white beads. They were given.

A fearful row now broke out between Bombay and Baraka (11th). Many of
my men had by this time been married, notwithstanding my prohibition.
Baraka, for instance, had with him the daughter of Ungurue, chief of
Phunze; Wadimoyo, a woman called Manamaka; Sangizo, his wife and sister;
but Bombay had not got one, and mourned for a girl he had set his eyes
on, unfortunately for himself letting Baraka into his confidence. This
set Baraka on the qui vive to catch Bombay tripping; for Baraka knew
he could not get her without paying a good price for her, and therefore
watched his opportunity to lay a complaint against him of purloining my
property, by which scheme he would, he thought, get Bombay's place as
storekeeper himself. In a sly manner Bombay employed some of my other
men to take five wires, a red blanket, and 500 strings of beads, to his
would-be father-in-law, which, by a previously-concocted arrangement,
was to be her dowry price. These men did as they were bid; but the
father-in-law returned things, saying he must have one more wire. That
being also supplied, the scoundrel wanted more, and made so much fuss
about it, that Baraka became conversant with all that was going on, and
told me of it.

This set the whole camp in a flame, for Bombay and Baraka were both
very drunk, as well as most of the other men, so that it was with great
difficulty I could get hold of the rights of their stories. Bo