using
the men who were helping me, as there were fires and powder-boxes under
the tent. I of course had to fly into a passion and abuse Bombay. He,
in a still greater rage, said he would pitch into the men, for the whole
place would be blown up. "That is no reason why you should abuse my
men," I said, "who are better than you by obeying my orders. If I choose
to blow up my property, that is my look-out; and if you don't do your
duty, I will blow you up also." Foaming and roaring with rage, Bombay
said he would not stand being thus insulted. I then gave him a dig
on the head with my fist. He squared up, and pouted like an enraged
chameleon, looking savagely at me. I gave him another dig, which sent
him staggering. He squared again: I gave him another; till at last, as
the claret was flowing, he sulked off, and said he would not serve me
any more. I then gave Nasib orders to take Bombay's post, and commence
the march; but the good old man made Bombay give in, and off we went,
amidst crowds of Waganda, who had collected to witness with comedy, and
were all digging at one another's heads, showing off in pantomime the
strange ways of the white man. N'yamgundu then jointed us, and begged us
to halt only one more day, as some of his women were still at Kisuere;
but Bombay, showing his nozzle rather flatter than usual, said, "No;
I got this on account of your lies. I won't tell Bana any more of
your excuses for stopping; you may tell him yourself if you like."
N'yamgundu, however, did not think this advisable, and so we went on
as we were doing. It was the first and last time I had ever occasion to
lose my dignity by striking a blow with my own hands; but I could
not help it on this occasion without losing command and respect; for
although I often had occasion to award 100 and even 150 lashes to my men
for stealing, I could not, for the sake of due subordination, allow
any inferior officer to strike Bombay, and therefore had to do the work
myself.

Skirting the hills on the left, with a large low plain to the right we
soon came on one of those numerous rush-drains that appear to me to
be the last waters left of the old bed of the N'yanza. This one in
particular was rather large, being 150 yards wide. It was sunk where I
crossed it, like a canal, 14 feet below the plain; and what with mire
and water combined, so deep, I was obliged to take off my trousers
whilst fording it. Once across, we sought for and put up in a village
ben