joy!
Give him Lamoli!
Brave man! take the pride of our race;
Take the dearest girl with the loveliest face.
Live in the shade of our kingly mace
With good Lamoli!
_Chorus_. Oh, Lamoli!
Good Lamoli!
Sweet Lamoli!
We sing the happy marriage song.
We sound the drum and beat the gong
For joy with Lamoli.
Now a wife, no longer weeping,
No more to spend her days in mourning,
She will be for ever laughing,
Happy Lamoli!
_Chorus_. Oh, Lamoli!
Charming Lamoli!
Happy Lamoli!
The music accompanying this song was slow and sweet, worthy of the great
occasion on which it was given. During the chorus, the dancing became
more lively, and each man and woman lifted the voice high, which created
a grand and majestic volume of sound, while the drums were beaten with a
terrific vigour. The festivities lasted all the day and night, until
sunrise next morning; but during the night they were better attended,
nearly a thousand souls joining in the song and chorus. Kalulu and many
others were hoarse from over-exertion of voice, when they retired next
morning to rest.
Having brought Simba and Moto to their temporary home and through their
difficulties, let us now withdraw from this scene for a while, and see
how it fares with the Arab boy-slaves and Ferodia's caravan.
CHAPTER SIX.
SUFFERINGS OF SELIM, ABDULLAH, AND MUSSOUD--IN THE SLAVE-GANG--ISA
SEIZED WITH SMALL-POX--ISA LEFT BEHIND TO DIE--SELIM'S PRAYER--SELIM
PROPOSES TO ESCAPE--SELIM'S PREPARATION--SELIM'S ESCAPE--THE ROAR OF THE
KING OF THE FOREST--SELIM SHOOTS A LION--SELIM SHOOTS AN ANTELOPE--HE
SUFFERS FROM HUNGER--HE FALLS FAINTING TO THE GROUND--SELIM'S DESPAIR--
HIS REFLECTIONS--HE GIVES HIMSELF UP TO DIE.
Although the caravan started the day after the departure of Simba and
Moto, it could not of course travel so fast as two fugitives; so that
the journey, which only occupied a few days with our two friends, lasted
nearly a month with Ferodia's caravan.
Ferodia, the chief of the Watuta caravan, had besides four Arab slaves--
three of whom were perfectly white--nearly three hundred black slaves,
who had been captured in the battle of Kwikuru. If the report was
spread abroad that he possessed so many slaves, as would undoubtedly be
the case, he would soon be visited by traders from Unyanyembe and from
Kilwa, and perhaps, if he waited long enough
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