transportation in africa.—men as beasts of burden.—porters, and their peculiarities.—engaging men for the expedition.—a shauri.—troubles with the lady alice.—agreement between stanley and his men.—departure from zanzibar.—bagamoyo.—the universities mission.—departure of the expedition.—difficulties with the porters.—sufferings on the march.—native suspension-bridges.—shooting a zebra.—losses by desertion.
before the reading was resumed, one of the youths asked if zanzibar was the usual starting-point for expeditions for the exploration of africa. mr. stanley was absent at the moment the question was asked, but the answer was readily given by doctor bronson.
"zanzibar is the usual starting-point," said the doctor, "but it is by no means the only one. livingstone's expedition for exploring the zambesi river set out from zanzibar, and so did other expeditions of the great missionary. burton and speke started from there in 1856, when they discovered lake tanganika; and, four years later, speke and grant set out from the same place. lieutenant cameron, in his journey across africa, made zanzibar his starting point; and the expedition of mr. johnson to the kilimandjaro mountain was chiefly outfitted there, though it left the coast at mombasa.
"zanzibar," continued doctor bronson, "is the best point of departure for an inland expedition anywhere along the east coast of africa, for the reason that it is the largest and most important place of trade. its shops are well supplied with the goods that an explorer needs for his journey, and its merchants have a better reputation than those of other african ports. everything in the interior of africa must be carried on the backs of men, there being, as yet, no other system of transportation. horses cannot live in certain parts of the interior of africa, owing to the tsetse-fly, which kills them with its bites; and even were it not for this fly, it is likely that the heat of the climate would render them of little use. occasionally, a traveller endeavors to use donkeys as beasts of burden, but these animals are scarce and dear, and of much less use than in other lands. until africa is provided with railways—and that will[pg 33] not be for a long while yet—the transportation must be done by men. every caravan that leaves the coast for the interior of the continent requires a large number of porters; and the difficulty of obtaining them is one of the greatest annoyances to merchants and travellers."
negro nurse-maid, zanzibar.
one of the youths said he supposed it was because the demand was so great that there was not a sufficient number of men.
"not at all," replied the doctor. "there are plenty of men in africa, but they are not particularly anxious to work. their wants are few, and they can live upon very little; consequently they are not over-desirous to go on a journey of several hundred miles and carry heavy burdens on their shoulders or heads. added to their laziness is a lack of a feeling of responsibility or of honor. after engaging to go on a journey they fail to appear at the appointed time, and whenever they[pg 34] are weary of their work they coolly drop their burdens at the side of the road and make off into the bushes. in the first few days of a journey a traveller is always deserted by many of his porters, and it is only when he gets far from the coast and has possibly entered an enemy's country that he can keep his men together. all travellers have the same story to tell, and they all agree that the zanzibari porters are the most faithful of all in keeping their engagements, or, to say it better, the least unfaithful. for this reason, also, zanzibar is a favorite starting-point for explorers. frank will now read to us about the difficulties which mr. stanley encountered in outfitting his expedition."
a zanzibar bride.
acting upon this hint, frank opened the book and read as follows:
"it is a most sobering employment, the organizing of an african expedition. you are constantly engaged, mind and body; now in casting up accounts, and now travelling to and fro hurriedly to receive messengers, inspecting purchases, bargaining with keen-eyed, relentless hindi merchants, writing memoranda, haggling over extortionate prices, packing up a multitude of small utilities, pondering upon your lists of articles, wanted, purchased, and unpurchased, groping about in the recesses of a highly exercised imagination for what you ought to purchase, and can not do without, superintending, arranging, assorting, and packing. and this under a temperature of 95° fahr.
"in the midst of all this terrific, high-pressure exercise arrives the first batch of applicants for employment. for it has long ago been bruited abroad that i am ready to enlist all able-bodied human beings willing to carry a load. ever since i arrived at zanzibar i have had a very good reputation among arabs and wangwana. they have not forgotten that it was i who found the 'old white man'—livingstone—in ujiji, nor that liberality and kindness to my men were my special characteristics. they have also, with the true oriental spirit of exaggeration, proclaimed that i was but a few months absent; and that, after this brief excursion, they returned to their homes to enjoy the liberal pay awarded them, feeling rather the better for the trip than otherwise. this unsought-for reputation brought on me the laborious task of selecting proper men out of an extraordinary number of applicants. almost all the cripples, the palsied, the consumptive, and[pg 35] the superannuated that zanzibar could furnish applied to be enrolled on the muster-list, but these, subjected to a searching examination, were refused. hard upon their heels came all the roughs, rowdies, and ruffians of the island, and these, schooled by their fellows, were not so easily detected. slaves were also refused, as being too much under the influence and instruction of their masters, and yet many were engaged of whose character i had not the least conception, until, months afterwards, i learned from their quarrels in the camp how i had been misled by the clever rogues.
window of an arab house, zanzibar.
"all those who bore good characters on the search expedition, and had been despatched to the assistance of livingstone in 1872, were employed without delay. out of these the chiefs were selected: these were manwa sera, chowpereh, wadi rehani, kachéché, zaidi, chakanja, farjalla, wadi safeni, bukhet, mabruki manyapara, mabruki unyanyembé, muini pembé, ferahan, bwana muri, khamseen, mabruki speke, simba, gardner, hamoidah, zaidi mganda, and ulimengo.
coxswain uledi, and manwa sera, chief captain.
(from a photograph.)
"all great enterprises require a preliminary deliberative palaver, or, as the wangwana call it, 'shauri.' in east africa, particularly, shauris are much in vogue. precipitate, energetic action is dreaded. 'poli, poli!' or 'gently!' is the warning word of caution given.
"the chiefs arranged themselves in a semicircle on the day of the shauri, and[pg 36] i sat à la turque fronting them. 'what is it, my friends? speak your minds.' they hummed and hawed, looked at one another, as if on their neighbor's faces they might discover the purport of their coming, but, all hesitating to begin, finally broke down in a loud laugh.
"manwa sera, always grave, unless hit dexterously with a joke, hereupon affected anger, and said, 'you speak, son of safeni; verily we act like children! will the master eat us?'
"wadi, son of safeni, thus encouraged to perform the spokesman's duty, hesitates exactly two seconds, and then ventures with diplomatic blandness and graciosity. 'we have come, master, with words. listen. it is well we should know every step before we leap. a traveller journeys not without knowing whither he wanders. we have come to ascertain what lands you are bound for.'
"imitating the son of safeni's gracious blandness, and his low tone of voice, as though the information about to be imparted to the intensely interested and eagerly listening group were too important to speak it loud, i described in brief outline the prospective journey, in broken kiswahili. as country after country was mentioned of which they had hitherto had but vague ideas, and river after river, lake after lake named, all of which i hoped with their trusty aid to explore carefully, various ejaculations expressive of wonder or joy, mixed with a little alarm, broke from their lips, but when i concluded, each of the group drew a long breath, and[pg 37] almost simultaneously they uttered, admiringly, 'ah, fellows, this is a journey worthy to be called a journey!'
a merchant of zanzibar.
"'but, master,' said they, after recovering themselves, 'this long journey will take years to travel—six, nine, or ten years.' 'nonsense,' i replied. 'six, nine, or ten years! what can you be thinking of? it takes the arabs nearly three years to reach ujiji, it is true, but, if you remember, i was but sixteen months from zanzibar to ujiji and back. is it not so?' 'ay, true,' they answered. 'very well, and i assure you i have not come to live in africa. i have come simply to see those rivers and lakes, and after i have seen them to return home. you remember while going to ujiji i permitted the guide to show the way, but when we were returning who was it that led the way? was it not i, by means of that little compass which could not lie like the guide?' 'ay, true, master, true every word!' 'very well, then, let us finish the shauri, and go. to-morrow we will make a proper agreement before the consul;' and, in scriptural phrase, 'they forthwith arose and did as they were commanded.'
"upon receiving information from the coast that there was a very large number of men waiting for me, i became still more fastidious in my choice. but with all my care and gift of selection, i was mortified to discover that many faces and characters had baffled the rigorous scrutiny to which i had subjected them, and[pg 38] that some scores of the most abandoned and depraved characters on the island had been enlisted by me on the expedition. one man, named msenna, imposed upon me by assuming such a contrite, penitent look, and weeping such copious tears, when i informed him that he had too bad a character to be employed, that my good-nature was prevailed upon to accept his services, upon the understanding that, if he indulged his murderous propensities in africa, i should return him chained the entire distance to zanzibar, to be dealt with by his prince. he delivered his appeal with impassioned accents and lively gestures, which produced a great effect upon the mixed audience who listened to him, and, gathering from their faces more than from my own convictions that he had been much abused and very much misunderstood, his services were accepted, and as he appeared to be an influential man, he was appointed a junior captain with prospects of promotion and higher pay.
"subsequently, however, on the shores of lake victoria it was discovered—for in africa people are uncommonly communicative—that msenna had murdered eight people, that he was a ruffian of the worst sort, and that the merchants of zanzibar had experienced great relief when they heard that the notorious msenna was about to bid farewell for a season to the scene of so many of his wild exploits. msenna was only one of many of his kind, but i have given in detail the manner of his enlistment that my position may be better understood.
"the weight of a porter's load should not exceed sixty pounds. on the arrival of the sectional exploring boat lady alice, great were my vexation and astonishment when i discovered that four of the sections weighed two hundred and eighty pounds each, and that one weighed three hundred and ten pounds! she was, it is true, a marvel of workmanship, and an exquisite model of a boat, such, indeed, as few builders in england or america could rival, but in her present condition her carriage through the jungles would necessitate a pioneer force a hundred strong to clear the impediments and obstacles on the road.
tarya topan.
"i found an english carpenter named ferris, to whom i showed the boat and explained that the narrowness of the path would make her portage absolutely impossible, for since the path was often only eighteen inches wide in africa, and hemmed in on each side with dense jungle, any package six feet broad could by no means be conveyed along it. it was therefore necessary that each of the four sections should be subdivided, by which means i should obtain eight portable sections, each three feet wide. mr. ferris, perfectly comprehending his instructions, and with the aid given by the young pococks, furnished me within two weeks with the newly modelled lady alice. meantime i was busy purchasing cloth, beads, wire, and other african goods, the most of them coming from the establishment of tarya topan, one of the millionaire merchants of zanzibar. i made tarya's acquaintance in 1871, and the righteous manner in which he then dealt by me caused me now to proceed to him again for the same purpose as formerly.
"the total weight of goods, cloth, beads, wire, stores, medicine, bedding, clothes, tents, ammunition, boat, oars, rudders and thwarts, instruments and stationery, photographic apparatus, dry plates, and miscellaneous articles too numerous to mention, weighed a little over eighteen thousand pounds, or rather more than eight tons, divided as nearly as possible into loads weighing sixty pounds[pg 39] each, and requiring therefore the carrying capacity of three hundred men. the loads were made more than usually light, in order that we might travel with celerity, and not fatigue the people.
"but still further to provide against sickness and weakness, a supernumerary force of forty men were recruited at bagamoyo, konduchi, and the rufiji delta, who were required to assemble in the neighborhood of the first-mentioned place. two hundred and thirty men, consisting of wangwana, wanyamwezi, and coast people from mombasa, tanga, and saadani, affixed their marks opposite their names before the american consul, for wages varying from two to ten dollars per month and rations, according to their capacity, strength, and intelligence, with the understanding that they were to serve for two years, or until such time as their services should be no longer required in africa, and were to perform their duties cheerfully and promptly.
"on the day of 'signing' the contract each adult received an advance of twenty dollars, or four months' pay, and each youth ten dollars, or four months' pay. ration money was also paid them from the time of first enlistment, at the rate of one dollar per week, up to the day we left the coast. the entire amount disbursed in cash for advances of pay and rations at zanzibar and bagamoyo was $6260, or nearly thirteen hundred pounds.
"the obligations, however, were not all on one side. besides the due payment to them of their wages, i was compelled to bind myself to them, on the word of an 'honorable white man,' to observe the following conditions as to conduct towards them:
"1st. that i should treat them kindly, and be patient with them.
"2d. that in cases of sickness, i should dose them with proper medicine, and see them nourished with the best the country afforded. that if patients were unable to proceed, they should be conveyed to such places as should be considered safe for their persons and their freedom, and convenient for their return, on convalescence, to their friends. that, with all patients thus left behind, i should leave sufficient cloth or beads to pay the native practitioner for his professional attendance, and for the support of the patient.
"3d. that in cases of disagreement between man and man, i should judge justly, honestly, and impartially. that i should do my utmost to prevent the ill-treatment of the weak by the strong, and never permit the oppression of those unable to resist.
[pg 40]
universities mission at mbwenni, zanzibar.
"that i should act like a 'father and mother' to them, and to the best of my ability resist all violence offered to them by 'savage natives, and roving and lawless banditti.'
"they also promised, upon the above conditions being fulfilled, that they would do their duty like men, would honor and respect my instructions, giving me their united support, and endeavoring to the best of their ability to be faithful servants, and would never desert me in the hour of need. in short, that they would behave like good and loyal children, and 'may the blessing of god,' said they 'be upon us.'
"how we kept this bond of mutual trust and forbearance will be best seen in the following chapters, which record the strange and eventful story of our journeys.
"the fleet of six arab vessels which were to bear us away to the west across the zanzibar sea were at last brought to anchor a few yards from the wharf of the american consulate. the wangwana, true to their promise that they would be ready, appeared with their bundles and mats, and proceeded to take their places in the vessels waiting for them. as fast as each dhow was reported to be filled, the nakhuda, or captain, was directed to anchor farther off shore to await the signal to sail. by 5 p.m., of the 12th of november, 224 men had responded to their names, and five of the arab vessels, laden with the personnel, cattle, and matériel of the expedition, were impatiently waiting, with anchor heaved short, the word of command. one vessel still lay close ashore, to convey myself, and frederick barker—in charge of the personal servants—our baggage, and dogs. turning round to my constant and well-tried friend, mr. augustus sparhawk, i fervently clasped his hand, and with a full heart, though halting tongue, attempted to pour out my feelings of gratitude for his kindness and long-sustained hospitality, my keen regret at parting, and hopes of meeting again. but i was too agitated to be eloquent, and all my forced gayety could not carry me through the ordeal. so we parted in almost total silence, but i felt assured that he would judge my emotions by his own feelings.
[pg 41]
harem in the house of the secretary of the sultan of zanzibar.
[pg 42]
"a wave of my hand, and the anchors were hove up and laid within ship, and then, hoisting our lateen sails, we bore away westward to launch ourselves into the arms of fortune. many wavings of kerchiefs and hats, parting signals from white hands, and last long looks at friendly white faces, final confused impressions of the grouped figures of our well-wishers, and then the evening breeze had swept us away into mid-sea, beyond reach of recognition.
"towards the dark continent."
"the parting is over! we have said our last words for years, perhaps forever, to kindly men! the sun sinks fast to the western horizon, and gloomy is the twilight that now deepens and darkens. thick shadows fall upon the distant land and over the silent sea, and oppress our throbbing, regretful hearts, as we glide away through the dying light towards the dark continent.
"upon landing at bagamoyo, on the morning of the 13th of november, we marched to occupy the old house where we had stayed so long to prepare the first expedition. the goods were stored, the dogs chained up, the riding asses tethered, the rifles arrayed in the store-room, and the sectional boat laid under a roof close by, on rollers, to prevent injury from the white ants—a precaution which, i need hardly say, we had to observe throughout our journey. then some more ration money, sufficient for ten days, had to be distributed among the men, the young pococks were told off to various camp duties, to initiate them to exploring life in africa, and then, after the first confusion of arrival had subsided, i began to muster the new engagés.
"there is an institution at bagamoyo which ought not to be passed over without remark, but the subject cannot be properly dealt with until i have described the similar institution, of equal importance, at zanzibar: viz., the universities mission. besides, i have three pupils of the universities mission who are about[pg 43] to accompany me into africa—robert feruzi, andrew, and dallington. robert is a stout lad of eighteen years old, formerly a servant to one of the members of lieutenant cameron's expedition. andrew is a strong youth of nineteen years, rather reserved, and, i should say, not of a very bright disposition. dallington is much younger, probably only fifteen, with a face strongly pitted with traces of a violent attack of small-pox, but as bright and intelligent as any boy of his age, white or black.
"the universities mission is the result of the sensation caused in england by livingstone's discoveries on the zambezi and of lakes nyassa and shirwa. it was despatched by the universities of oxford and cambridge in the year 1860, and consisted of bishop mackenzie, formerly archdeacon of natal, and the rev. messrs. proctor, scudamore, burrup, and rowley. it was established at first in the zambesi country, but was moved, a few years later, to zanzibar. several of the reverend gentlemen connected with it have died at their post of duty, bishop mackenzie being the first to fall, but the work goes on. the mission at bagamoyo is in charge of four french priests, eight brothers, and twelve sisters, with ten lay brothers employed in teaching agriculture. the french fathers superintend the tuition of two hundred and fifty children, and give employment to about eighty adults. one hundred and seventy freed slaves were furnished from the slave captures made by british cruisers. they are taught to earn their own living as soon as they arrive of age, and are furnished with comfortable lodgings, clothing, and household utensils.
scene in bagamoyo.
"'notre dame de bagamoyo' is situated about a mile and a half north of bagamoyo, overlooking the sea, which washes the shores just at the base of the tolerably high ground on which the mission buildings stand. thrift, order, and that peculiar style of neatness common to the french are its characteristics. the cocoa-nut palm, orange, and mango flourish in this pious settlement, while a variety[pg 44] of garden vegetables and grain are cultivated in the fields; and broad roads, cleanly kept, traverse the estate. during the superior's late visit to france he obtained a considerable sum for the support of the mission, and he has lately established a branch mission at kidudwe. it is evident that, if supported constantly by his friends in france, the superior will extend his work still farther into the interior, and it is therefore safe to predict that the road to ujiji will in time possess a chain of mission stations affording the future european trader and traveller safe retreats with the conveniences of civilized life.[2]
"there are two other missions on the east coast of africa: that of the church missionary society, and the methodist free church at mombasa. the former has occupied this station for over thirty years, and has a branch establishment at rabbai mpia, the home of the dutch missionaries, krapf, rebmann, and erhardt. but these missions have not obtained the success which such long self-abnegation and devotion to the pious service deserved.
"on the morning of the 17th of november, 1874, the first bold step for the interior was taken. the bugle mustered the people to rank themselves before our quarters, and each man's load was given to him according as we judged his power of bearing burden. to the man of strong, sturdy make, with a large development of muscle, the cloth bale of sixty pounds was given, which would in a couple of months, by constant expenditure, be reduced to fifty pounds, in six months perhaps to forty pounds, and in a year to about thirty pounds, provided that all his comrades were faithful to their duties; to the short, compactly-formed man, the bead-sack, of fifty pounds' weight; to the light youth of eighteen or twenty years old, the box of forty pounds, containing stores, ammunition, and sundries. to the steady, respectable, grave-looking men of advanced years, the scientific instruments, thermometers, barometers, watches, sextant, mercury-bottles, compasses, pedometers, photographic apparatus, dry plates, stationery, and scientific books, all packed in forty-pound cases, were distributed; while the man most highly recommended for steadiness and cautious tread was intrusted with the carriage of the three chronometers, which were stowed in balls of cotton, in a light case weighing not more than twenty-five pounds. the twelve kirangozis, or guides, tricked out this day in flowing robes of crimson blanket-cloth, demanded the privilege of conveying the several loads of brass-wire coils; and as they form the second advanced guard, and are active, bold youths—some of whom are to be hereafter known as the boat's crew, and to be distinguished by me above all others except the chiefs—they are armed with snider rifles, with their respective accoutrements. the boat-carriers are herculean in figure and strength, for they are practised bearers of loads, having resigned their ignoble profession of hamal in zanzibar to carry sections of the first europe-made boat that ever floated on lakes victoria and tanganika and the extreme sources of the nile and the livingstone. to each section of the boat there are four men, to relieve one another in couples. they get higher pay than even the chiefs, except the chief captain, manwa sera, and, besides receiving double rations, have the privilege of taking their wives along with them.[pg 45] there are six riding asses also in the expedition, all saddled, one for each of the europeans—the two pococks, barker, and myself—and two for the sick; for the latter there are also three of seydel's net hammocks, with six men to act as a kind of ambulance party.
wife of manwa sera.
(from a photograph.)
"at nine a.m. we file out of bagamoyo in the following order: four chiefs a few hundred yards in front; next the twelve guides, clad in red robes of jobo, bearing the wire coils; then a long file of two hundred and seventy strong, bearing cloth, wire, beads, and sections of the lady alice; after them thirty-six women and ten boys, children of some of the chiefs and boat-bearers, following their mothers and assisting them with trifling loads of utensils, followed by the riding asses, europeans, and gun-bearers; the long line closed by sixteen chiefs who act as rear-guard, and whose duties are to pick up stragglers, and act as supernumeraries until other men can be procured; in all, three hundred and fifty-six souls connected with the anglo-american expedition. the lengthy line occupies nearly half a mile of the path which, at the present day, is the commercial and exploring highway into the lake regions.
"edward pocock acts as bugler, and he has familiarized hamadi, the chief guide, with its notes, so that, in case of a halt being required, hamadi may be informed immediately. the chief guide is also armed with a prodigiously long horn of ivory, his favorite instrument, and one that belongs to his profession, which he has permission to use only when approaching a suitable camping-place, or to notify to us danger in the front. before hamadi strides a chubby little boy with a native drum, which he is to beat only when in the neighborhood of villages, to warn them of the advance of a caravan, a caution most requisite, for many villages are situated in the midst of a dense jungle, and the sudden arrival of a large force of strangers before they had time to hide their little belongings might awaken jealousy and distrust.
"in this manner we begin our long journey, full of hopes. there is noise and laughter along the ranks, and a hum of gay voices murmuring through the fields, as we rise and descend with the waves of the land and wind with the sinuosities of the path. motion had restored us all to a sense of satisfaction. we had an intensely bright and fervid sun shining above us, the path was dry, hard, and admirably fit for travel, and during the commencement of our first march nothing could be conceived in better order than the lengthy, thin column about to confront the wilderness.
[pg 46]
a leading citizen of bagamoyo.
"presently, however, the fervor of the dazzling sun grows overpowering as we descend into the valley of the kingani river. the ranks become broken and disordered; stragglers are many; the men complain of the terrible heat; the dogs pant in agony. even we ourselves, under our solah topees, with flushed faces and perspiring brows, with handkerchiefs ever in use to wipe away the drops which almost blind us, and our heavy woollens giving us a feeling of semi-asphyxiation, would fain rest, were it not that the sun-bleached levels of the tawny, thirsty valley offer no inducements. the veterans of travel push on towards the river, three miles distant, where they may obtain rest and shelter, but the inexperienced are lying prostrate on the ground, exclaiming against the heat, and crying for water, bewailing their folly in leaving zanzibar. we stop to tell them to rest awhile, and then to come on to the river, where they will find us; we advise, encourage, and console the irritated people as best we can, and tell them that it is only the commencement of a journey that is so hard; that all this pain and weariness are always felt by beginners, but that by and by it is shaken off, and that those who are steadfast emerge out of the struggle heroes.
[pg 47]
"frank and his brother edward, despatched to the ferry at the beginning of these delays, have now got the sectional boat lady alice all ready, and the ferrying of men, goods, asses, and dogs across the kingani is prosecuted with vigor, and at 3.30 p.m. the boat is again in pieces, slung on the bearing-poles, and the expedition has resumed its journey to kikoka, the first halting-place.
"but before we reach camp we have acquired a fair idea as to how many of our people are stanch and capable, and how many are too feeble to endure the fatigues of bearing loads. the magnificent prize mastiff dog castor died of heat apoplexy within two miles of kikoka, and the other mastiff, captain, seems likely to follow soon, and only nero, bull, and jack, though prostrate and breathing hard, show any signs of life.
"at kikoka, then, we rest the next day. we discharge two men, who have been taken seriously ill, and several new recruits, who arrive at camp during the night preceding and this day, are engaged.
"as there are so many subjects to be touched upon along the seven thousand miles of explored lines, i propose to be brief with the incidents and descriptive sketches of our route to ituru, because the country for two thirds of the way has been sufficiently described in 'how i found livingstone' and elsewhere.
the expedition at rosako.
"at rosako the route began to diverge from that which led to msuwa and simba-mwenni, and opened out on a stretch of beautiful park land, green as an english lawn, dipping into lovely vales, and rising into gentle ridges. thin, shallow[pg 48] threads of water, in furrow-like beds or in deep, narrow ditches, which expose the sandstone strata on which the fat, ochreous soil rests, run in mazy curves round forest clumps or through jungle tangles, and wind about among the higher elevations, on their way towards the wami river. we followed this river for some distance, crossing it several times at fords where the water was about two and a half feet deep. at one of the fords there was a curious suspension-bridge over the river, constructed of llianes, with great ingenuity, by the natives. the banks were at this point sixteen feet high above the river, and from bank to bank the distance was only thirty yards; it was evident, therefore, that the river must be a dangerous torrent during the rainy season.
"on the 3d of december we came to the mkundi river, a tributary of the wami, which divides nguru country from usagara. simba-mwenni—the lion lord—owns five villages in this neighborhood. he was generous, and gratified us with a gift of a sheep, some flour, and plantains, accepting with pleasure some cloth in return.
"the wa-nguru are fond of black and white beads and brass wire. they split the lobes of their ears, and introduce such curious things as the necks of gourds or round disks of wood to extend the gash. a medley of strange things are worn round the neck, such as tiny goats' horns, small brass chains, and large, egglike beads. blue kaniki and the red-barred barsati are the favorite cloths in this region. the natives dye their faces with ochre, and, probably influenced by the example of the wanyamwezi, dress their hair in long ringlets, which are adorned with pendicles of copper, or white or red beads of the large sam-sam pattern.
"grand and impressive scenery meets the eye as we march to makubika, where we attain an altitude of two thousand six hundred and seventy-five feet above the ocean. peaks and knolls rise in all directions, for we are now ascending to the eastern front of the kaguru mountains. the summits of ukamba are seen to the north, its slopes famous for the multitude of elephants. farther inland we reached the spine of a hill at four thousand four hundred and ninety feet, and beheld an extensive plain, stretching northwest and west, with browsing herds of noble game. camping on its verge, between a humpy hill and some rocky knolls, near a beautiful pond of crystal-clear water, i proceeded with my gun-bearer, billali, and the notorious msenna, in the hope of bringing down something for the wangwana.
"the plain was broader than i had judged it by the eye from the crest of the hill whence we had first sighted it. it was not until we had walked briskly over a long stretch of tawny grass, crushed by sheer force through a brambly jungle, and trampled down a path through clumps of slender cane-stalks, that we came at last in view of a small herd of zebras. these animals are so quick of scent and ear, and so vigilant with their eyes, that, across an open space, it is most difficult to stalk them. but, by dint of tremendous exertion, i contrived to approach within two hundred and fifty yards, taking advantage of every thin tussock of grass, and, almost at random, fired. one of the herd leaped from the ground, galloped a few short, maddened strides, and then, on a sudden, staggered, kneeled, trembled, and fell over, its legs kicking the air. its companions whinnied shrilly for their mate, and presently, wheeling in circles with graceful motion, advanced nearer, still[pg 49] whinnying, until i dropped another, with a crushing ball through the head—much against my wish, for i think zebras were created for better purpose than to be eaten. the remnant of the herd vanished.
view from the village of mamboya.
"billali, requested to run to camp to procure wangwana to carry the meat, was only too happy, knowing what brave cheers and hearty congratulations would greet him. msenna was already busy skinning one of the animals, some three hundred yards from me, when, turning my head, i made out the form of some tawny animal, that was advancing with a curious long step, and i recognized it to be a lion. i motioned to msenna, who happened to be looking up, and beckoned him. 'what do you think it is, msenna?' i asked. 'simba [a lion], master,' he answered.
"the animal approached slowly, while i made ready to receive him with an explosive bullet from the elephant rifle. when within three hundred yards he paused, and then turned and trotted off into a bit of scrubby jungle, about eight hundred yards away. ten minutes elapsed, and then as many animals emerged from the same spot into which the other had disappeared, and approached us in stately column. but it being now dusk i could not discern them very clearly. we both were, however, quite sure in our own minds that they were lions, or at any rate some animals so like them in the twilight that we could not imagine them to be anything else. when the foremost had come within one hundred yards i fired. it sprang up and fell, and the others disappeared with a dreadful rush. we now heard shouts behind us, for the wangwana had come; so, taking one or two with me, i endeavored to discover what i felt sure to be a prostrate lion, but it could not be found.
"the next day manwa sera went out to hunt for the lion-skin, but returned after a long search with only a strong doubt in his mind as to its having been a[pg 50] lion, and a few reddish hairs to prove that it was something which had been eaten by hyenas. this day i succeeded in shooting a small antelope of the springbok kind.
"on the 12th of december, twenty-five days' march from bagamoyo, we arrived at mpwapwa.
our camp at mpwapwa.
(from a photograph.)
"mpwapwa has also some fine trees, but no forest; the largest being the tamarind, sycamore, cottonwood, and baobab. the collection of villages denominated by this title lies widely scattered on either side of the mpwapwa stream, at the base of the southern slope of a range of mountains that extends in a sinuous line from chunyu to ugombo. i call it a range, because it appeared to be one from mpwapwa; but in reality it is simply the northern flank of a deep indentation in the great mountain chain that extends from abyssinia, or even suez, down to the cape of good hope. at the extreme eastern point of this indentation from the western side lies lake ugombo, just twenty-four miles from mpwapwa.
"desertions from the expedition had been frequent. at first, kachéché, the chief detective, and his gang of four men, who had received their instructions to follow us a day's journey behind, enabled me to recapture sixteen of the deserters; but the cunning wangwana and wanyamwezi soon discovered this resource of mine against their well-known freaks, and, instead of striking east in their departure, absconded either south or north of the track. we then had detectives posted long before dawn, several hundred yards away from the camp, who were bidden to lie in wait in the bush until the expedition had started, and in this manner we succeeded in repressing to some extent the disposition to desert, and arrested very many men on the point of escaping; but even this was not adequate. fifty had[pg 51] abandoned us before reaching mpwapwa, taking with them the advances they had received, and often their guns, on which our safety might depend.
detective and assistants.
"several feeble men and women also had to be left behind, and it was evident that the very wariest methods failed to bind the people to their duties. the best of treatment and abundance of provisions daily distributed were alike insufficient to induce such faithless natures to be loyal. however, we persisted, and as often as we failed in one way we tried another. had all these men remained loyal to their contract and promises, we should have been too strong for any force to attack us, as our numbers must necessarily have commanded respect in lands and among tribes where only power is respected.
"one day's march from mpwapwa brought us to chunyu—an exposed and weak settlement, overlooking the desert or wilderness separating usagara from ugogo. close to our right towered the usagara mountains, and on our left stretched the inhospitable arm of the wilderness. fifteen or twenty miles distant to the south rose the vast cluster of rubeho's cones and peaks.
"the water at chunyu is nitrous and bitter to the taste. the natives were once prosperous, but repeated attacks from the wahehé to the south and the wahumba to the north have reduced them in numbers, and compelled them to seek refuge on the hill-summits.
"on the 16th of december, at early dawn, we struck camp, and at an energetic pace descended into the wilderness, and at 7 p.m. the vanguard of the expedition entered ugogo, camping two or three miles from the frontier village of kikombo.[pg 52] the next day, at a more moderate pace, we entered the populated district, and took shelter under a mighty baobab a few hundred yards distant from the chief's village."
here frank announced that it was late in the afternoon, and he wished to take a promenade on deck. with the permission of his auditors he would postpone the narrative until evening. the proposal was accepted, but before the youth could retire he was warmly thanked by those whom he had so agreeably entertained.
[pg 53]
an african belle.
