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John Hanning Speke - The Discovery of the Source of the Nile
words and system of language were wholly changed - as for example, Poko poko wingi bongo, means
"we do not understand"; Mazi, "fire"; Pi, "water"; Pe, "there is none; Bugra, "cow." In sound, the
language of these people resembles that of the Tibet Tartars. Chongi considers himself the greatest man
in the country, and of noble descent, his great- grandfather having been a Mhuma, born at Ururi, in
Unyoro, and appointed by the then reigning king to rule over this country, and keep the Kidi people in
check.
30th. - We halted at the earnest solicitation of Chongi, as well as of the Chopi porters, who said they
required a day to lay in grain, as the Wichwezi, or mendicant sorcerers - for so they thought fit to
designate Petherick's elephant-hunters - had eaten up the country all about them, and those who went
before with Bombay to visit their camp could get no food.
1st. - We halted again at the request of all parties, and much to the delight of old Chongi, who supplied
us with abundant pombe, promised a cow, that we should not be put to any extra expense by stopping,
and said that without fail he would furnish us with guides who knew a short cut across country, by which
we might reach the Wichwesi camp in one march, instead of going by the circuitous route which Bombay
formerly took. The cow, however, never came, as the old man did not intend to give his own, and his
officers refused to obey his orders in giving one of theirs.
We left Koki with difficulty, in consequence of the Chopi porters refusing to carry any loads, leaving the
burden of lifting them on the country people, as they said, "We have endured all the trouble and
hardships of bringing these visitors through the wilderness; and now, as they have visited you, it is your
place to help them on." The consequence was, we had to engage fresh porters at every village, each in
turn saying he had done all the work which with justice fell to his lot, till at last we arrived at the borders
of a jungle, where the men last engaged, feeling tired of their work, pleaded ignorance of the direct road,
and turned off to the longer one, where villages and men were in abundance, thus upsetting all our plans,
and doubling the actual distance.
To pass the night half-way was now imperative, as we had been the whole day travelling without making
good much ground. From the Gani people we had, without any visible change, mingled with the Madi
people, who dress in the same naked fashion as their neighbours, and use bows and arrows. Their villages
were all surrounded with bomas (fences), and the country in its general aspect resembled that of Northern
Unyamuezi. At one place, the good-natured simple people, as soon as we reached their village, spread a
skin, deposited a stool upon it, and placed in front two pots of pombe. At the village where we put up,
however, the women and children of the head man at first all ran away, and the head man himself was
very shy of us, thinking we were some unearthly creatures. He became more reconciled to us, however,
when he perceived we fed like rational beings; and, calling his family in by midnight, presented us with
pombe, and made many apologies for having allowed us to dine without a drop of his beer, for he was
very glad to see us.
Chapter XX. Madi
Junction of the Two Hemispheres - The First Contact with Persons Acquainted with European Habits -
Interruptions and Plots - The Mysterious Mahamed - Native Revelries - The Plundering and Tyranny of
the Turks - The Rascalities of the Ivory Trade - Feeling for the Nile - Taken to see a Mark left by a
European - Buffalo, Eland, and Rhinoceros Stalking - Meet Baker - Petherick's Arrival at Gondokoro.
After receiving more pombe from the chief, and, strange to say, hot water to wash with - for he did not
know how else to show hospitality better - we started again in the same straggling manner as yesterday.
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