Usui, and taken six bomas, upon
which Rumanika asked me what I thought of it, and if I knew where the
Watuta came from. I said I was not surprised to hear Usui had attracted
the Watuta's cupidity, for every one knew of the plundering propensities
of the inhabitants, and as they became rich by their robberies, they
must in turn expect to be robbed. Where the Watuta came from, nobody
could tell; they were dressed something like the Zulu Kaffirs of the
South, but appeared to be now gradually migrating from the regions of
N'yazza. To this Dr K'yengo, who was now living with Rumanika as his
head magician, added that, whilst he was living in Utambara, the Watuta
invested his boma six months; and finally, when all their cows and
stores were exhausted, they killed all the inhabitants but himself, and
he only escaped by the power of the charms which he carried about him.
These were so powerful, that although he lay on the ground, and the
Watuta struck at him with their spears, not one could penetrate his
body.

In the evening after this, as the king wished to see all my scientific
instruments, we walked down to the camp; and as he did not beg for
anything, I gave him some gold and mother-of-pearl shirt studs to swell
up his trinket-box. The same evening I made up my mind, if possible, to
purchase a stock of beads from the Arabs, and sent Baraka off to Kufro,
to see what kind of a bargain he could make with them; for, whilst I
trembled to think what those "blood-suckers" would have the impudence to
demand when they found me at their mercy, I felt that the beads must be
bought, or the expedition would certainly come to grief.

1st and 2d.--Two days after this the merchants came in a body to see
me, and said their worst beads would stand me 80 dollars per frasala,
as they would realise that value in ivory on arrival at the coast.
Of course no business was done, for the thing was preposterous by all
calculation, being close on 2500 per cent. above Zanzibar valuation.
I was "game" to give 50 dollars, but as they would not take this, I
thought of dealing with Rumanika instead. I then gave Nnanaji, who had
been constantly throwing out hints that I ought to give him a gun as he
was a great sportsman, a lappet of beadwork to keep his tongue quiet,
and he in return sent me a bullock and sundry pots of pombe, which, in
addition to the daily allowance sent by Rumanika, made all my people
drunk, and so affected Baraka that one of the women-