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John Hanning Speke - The Discovery of the Source of the Nile
commence with, which I would not accept until the tax was paid, and then I made my offering of two
wires, one kitambi, and one kisutu. Badgering then commenced: I must add two wires, and six makete or
necklaces of mzizima beads, the latter being due to the chief for negotiating the tax. When this addition
was paid, we should be freed by beat of drum.
I complied at once, by way of offering a special mark of respect And friendship, and on the reliance that
he would keep his word. The scoundrel, however, no sooner got the articles, than he said a man had just
come there to inform hi that I gave Pongo ten wires and ten cloths; he, therefore, could not be satisfied
until I added one more wire, when, without fail, he would beat the drums. It was given, after many angry
words; but it was the old story over again - he would have one more wire and a cloth, or else he would
not allow us to proceed on the morrow. My men, this time really provoked, said they would fight it out; -
a king breaking his word in that way! But in the end the demand had to be paid; and at last, at 9 P.M., the
drums beat the satisfaction.
From this we went on to the north end of Wanga, in front of which was a wilderness, separating the
possessions of Rohinda from those of Suwarora. We put up in a boma, but were not long ensconced there
when the villagers got up a pretext for a quarrel, thinking they could plunder us of all our goods, and
began pitching into my men. We, however, proved more than a match for them. Our show of guns
frightened them all out of the place; my men then gave chase, firing off in the air, which sent them flying
over the fields, and left us to do there as we liked until night, when a few of the villagers came back and
took up their abode with us quietly. Next, after dark, the little village was on the alert again. The Watuta
were out marching, and it was rumoured that they were bound for M'yaruwamba's. The porters who were
engaged at Pongo's now gave us the slip: we were consequently detained here next day (19th), when,
after engaging a fresh set, we crossed the wilderness, and in Usui put up with Suwarora's border officer
of this post, N'yamanira.
Here we were again brought to a standstill.
Chapter VII. Usui
Taxation recommenced - A Great Doctor - Suwarora pillaging - The Arabs - Conference with an
Ambassador from Uganda - Disputes in Camp - Rivalry of Bombay and Baraka - Departure from the
Inhospitable Districts.
We were now in Usui, and so the mace-bearers, being on their own ground forgot their manners, and
peremptorily demanded their pay before they would allow us to move one step farther. At first I tried to
stave the matter off, promising great rewards if they took us quickly on to Suwarora; but they would take
no alternative - their rights were four wires each. I could not afford such a sum, and tried to beat them
down, but without effect; for they said, they had it in their power to detain us here a whole month, and
they could get us bullied at every stage by the officers of the stations. No threats of reporting them to
their chief had any effect, so, knowing that treachery in these countries was a powerful enemy, I ordered
them to be paid. N'yamanira, the Mkungu, then gave us a goat and two pots of pombe, begging, at the
same time, for four wires, which I paid, hoping thus to get on in the morning.
I then made friends with him, and found he was a great doctor as well as an officer. In front of his hut he
had his church or uganga - a tree, in which was fixed a blaue boc's horn charged with magic powder, and
a zebra's hoof, suspended by a string over a pot of water sunk in the earth below it. His badges of office
he had tied on his head; the butt of a shell, representing the officer's badge, being fixed on the forehead,
whilst a small sheep's horn, fixed jauntily over the temple, denoted that he was a magician. Wishing to
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