milton came back from his four-mile constitutional satisfied in his
mind that the palaver should be held. Moreover, they had, on this
occasion, asked permission. He could grant this with an easy mind, being
due in the neighbourhood of the disputed territory in the course of a
week.

It seemed that an Isisi fisherman had been spearing in Akasava waters,
and had, moreover, settled, he and his family to the number of forty, on
Akasava territory. Whereupon an Akasava fishing community, whose rights
the intruder had violated, rose up in its wrath and beat Issmeri with
sticks.

Then the king of the Isisi sent a messenger to the king of Akasava
begging him to stay his hand "against my lawful people, for know this,
Iberi, that I have a thousand spears and young men eager for fire."

And Iberi replied with marked unpleasantness that there were in the
Akasava territory two thousand spears no less inclined to slaughter.

In a moment of admirable moderation, significant of the change which Mr.
Commissioner Sanders had wrought in these warlike peoples, they accepted
Hamilton's suggestion--sent by special envoy--and held a "small
palaver," agreeing that the question of the disputed fishing ground
should be settled by a third person.

And they chose Bosambo, paramount and magnificent chief of the Ochori,
as arbitrator. Now, it was singularly unfortunate that the question was
ever debatable. And yet it was, for the fishing ground in question was
off one of the many Middle Islands. In this case the island was occupied
by Akasava fishermen on the one shore and by the intruding Isisi on the
other. If you can imagine a big "Y" and over it a little "o" and over
that again an inverted "Y" thus "+" and drawing this you prolong the
four prongs of the Y's, you have a rough idea of the topography of the
place. To the left of the lower "Y" mark the word "Isisi," to the right
the word "Akasava" until you reach a place where the two right hand
prongs meet, and here you draw a line and call all above it "Ochori."
The "o" in the centre is the middle island--set in a shallow lake
through which the river (the stalk, of the Y's) runs.

Bosambo came down in state with ten canoes filled with counsellors and
bodyguard. He camped on the disputed ground, and was met thereon by the
chiefs affected.

"O, Iberi and T'lingi!" said he, as he stepped ashore, "I come in peace,
bringing all my wonderful counsellors, that I may make you as brothers,
for as yo