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A WHITE KING
IN EAST AFRICA
[Illustration: JOHN BOYES]
A WHITE KING
IN EAST AFRICA
THE REMARKABLE ADVENTURES OF JOHN BOYES, TRADER AND SOLDIER OF
FORTUNE, WHO BECAME KING OF THE SAVAGE WA-KIKUYU
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF
EDITED BY
C. W. L. BULPETT
WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS AND A MAP
NEW YORK
McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY
1912
(_All rights reserved._)
TO
WILLIAM NORTHROP McMILLAN
IN MEMORY OF MANY
TRAMPS TOGETHER
EDITOR’S PREFACE
The following pages describe a life of adventure in the more remote
parts of Africa—adventures such as the explorer and sportsmen do not
generally encounter. The man to whom the episodes narrated in this book
refer has been personally known to me for ten years. We have hunted big
game and explored together many a time in the African jungle; and as it
is principally at my instigation that he has put the following account
of his experiences into writing, I think it is due to him and to the
public that I should make known my responsibility in the matter.
It seemed to me that the adventures John Boyes underwent were something
quite out of the common; in these matter-of-fact days they may be said
to be almost unique. In the days of exploration and discovery, when
Captain Cook and such heroes lived and thrived, they were perhaps common
enough; but every year the opportunities of such adventure get more and
more remote, and as the uttermost parts of the earth are brought under
the influence of civilization will become ever more impossible. For this
reason alone a story such as told here seems to be worth recording.
There is no attempt at literary style. The man tells his tale in a
simple, matter-of-fact way, and, as his Editor, I have thought it better
from every point of view to leave his words as he has written them.
The reader will judge for himself as to the interest of the adventures
here related, but I think any one will admit that no ordinary force of
character was necessary to carry them through to a successful issue. The
whole life of the author during the time he was a wanderer in the Kikuyu
country, and later while he was practically supreme ruler of the tribe—a
tribe numbering half a million of people—was one of imminent daily risk.
Each hour he went about with his life in his hands, and if he came out
scatheless from the mêlée, he has only to thank his courage, nerve, and
resource. All these qualities he obviously possessed in a high degree.
He appears to have been harshly treated by the British East Africa
authorities. Doubtless much that he did was grossly misrepresented to
them by more or less interested parties. He certainly did yeoman’s
service to the colony in its early days by opening up an unknown and
hostile country which lay right on the borderland of the Uganda Railway,
at that time in course of construction. His energetic action enabled the
coolies on the line to work safe from many hostile attacks. He supplied
them with the food without which they would have starved—all for a very
small reward, and at great personal risk to himself. But the love of
adventure was in him, and such people do not work for profit alone. The
life itself brings its own reward.
An impartial observer will perhaps be able to understand the point of
view of the British Administration, and will appreciate their
difficulty, indeed their ability, to allow an independent white power to
rule beside their own; but the public will judge for themselves whether
they set about to do what they did with regard to John Boyes in the most
tactful way, or whether they treated a brave fellow-countryman in the
manner he deserved.
C. W. L. B.
_August, 1911._
CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER I 1
Early youth—I run away to sea on a fishing-boat—Hardships of the
life—Take service on a tugboat—Life on board a tramp—First view
of tropical African coast—A collision at sea—Land at Durban, 1895
CHAPTER II 17
I work my way up-country to Matabeleland—Employed as fireman on
engine—Reach Johannesburg—Trek the rest of the way to Bulawayo on
foot—Take service in the Matabeleland Mounted Police—Join the
Africander Corps engaged in putting down the rebellion—Go into
trade in Bulawayo—Return to the coast—I take to the stage—Work my
way on an Arab dhow to Mombasa, February, 1898—Cool official
reception
CHAPTER III 38
1898—Determine to organize a transport caravan on the Uganda
Railway route, to carry provisions for the coolies working on the
railway—Man-eating lions at railway construction camps—Reach the
borderland of the Masai and Kikuyu tribes—Desertion of my
men—Return to Railhead—Start out again with convoys for
Uganda—Loss of my transport animals—Decide to enter the Kikuyu
country.
CHAPTER IV 76
Government official tries to prevent me going into the Kikuyu
country—Give the official the slip—My first acquaintance with the
Kikuyu—Meet Karuri, the Kikuyu chief—Hospitable reception—Kikuyu
village attacked because of my presence in it—I help to beat off
the attack—Successful trading—Build a house in the Kikuyu
village—Native theory as to the origin of the Kikuyu race—I help
defend my Kikuyu friends from hostile raids, and beat off the
enemy—Benefit of my conciliatory counsels—Pigasangi and
blood-brotherhood
CHAPTER V 101
Am established in the country—Native festivities and
dances—Troubadours—Musical quickness of the natives—Dearth of
musical instruments—My attempts at military organization—Hostile
rumours—Preparations for resisting attack—Great battle and defeat
of the attacking tribes—Victory due to skilful tactics of my
Kikuyu force—Succeed in taking a large convoy of provisions into
the starving Government stations—White men attacked and killed—Am
supreme in the tribe—Native poisons—Although I am supplying the
Government stations with food, I get no recognition at the hands
of the officials
CHAPTER VI 124
Determine to extend my operations into more remote districts of
the Kikuyu country—New friends—Native taste for tea—Plague of
ants—Curious superstition with regard to milking cows—The Kalyera
reject my friendly overtures—Trouble at headquarters—Tragic
interview with a recalcitrant chief—Gain further prestige
thereby—Further plans—Take my Kikuyu followers down to
Mombasa—Their impressions in contact with civilization
CHAPTER VII 149
Back again in the Kikuyu country—Kalyera raid—Effect of a mule on
the native nerve—Does it eat men?—Prepare for a new
expedition—Dress my men in khaki and march under the Union Jack—A
hostile medicine man—Around Mount Kenia—Native drinks—Treacherous
native attack on my camp—Lucky capture of the hostile chief saves
the camp—Pursuit after stolen cattle—Another attack on my
camp—Change of attitude of natives on account of rain—Peace
again—Bury my ivory—The forest slopes of Mount Kenia—Wagombi’s—A
powerful chief—Precautions—Establish myself and erect a fort
CHAPTER VIII 189
The Wanderobo—Visit from the Wanderobo chief—Native bartering—A
grand meeting of surrounding tribes for blood-brotherhood under
my auspices—Dancing frenzy—Native ideas of a future life—Again
trek for the unknown—Attacked by natives—Chief’s
admonition—Decide to visit the Wanderobo chief Olomondo—Wanderobo
gluttony—The honey bird—Wanderobo methods of hunting—Massacre of
a Goanese safari—My narrow escape—General uprising of hostile
tribes—Rise of the Chinga tribes against me—My precarious
position—Successful sally and total defeat of the enemy—My
blood-brother, the Kikuyu Chieftain, comes to my aid with
thousands of armed men—Total extinction of the Chinga people
CHAPTER IX 233
My control over the whole country now complete—Get back with my
ivory to Karuri’s—Recover all the property of the murdered
Goanese—My position recognized by all the chiefs—Violent death of
my enemy, the Rainmaker—Peaceful rule—Try to improve the
agriculture of the country—Imitators of my schemes cause trouble
in the country—Troubles of a ruler—Outbreak of smallpox—Famine—My
attempts at alleviating the distress misunderstood—Daily routine
in a native village—"Sin vomiting"—Native customs—Native
hospitality among themselves—Adventures with lions
CHAPTER X 279
Government send an expedition into my country to take over the
administration—Go with my followers to meet the Government
officials—Am asked to disarm my followers by the Government
officials, who are in a state of panic—Consent to this to allay
their fears, and am then put under arrest—Am charged with
“dacoity”- -Am sent down to Mombasa to be tried, and placed in
the gaol—Am released on bail—Tried and acquitted—I am appointed
intelligence officer and guide to a Government expedition into
the Kalyera country
CHAPTER XI 295
Origin of the Kikuyu—The family—Circumcision—Marriage—Land
tenure—Missionaries
INDEX 317
ILLUSTRATIONS
JOHN BOYES _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
MASAI WARRIORS FROM NAIVASHA 48
AN ANT-HILL 58
KIKUYU WARRIOR 80
WA-KIKUYU MAIDENS 82
THE RIVER MORANDAT 100
A GROUP OF MASAI WARRIORS 112
A GROUP OF WA-KIKUYU PORTERS AND THE AUTHOR 192
A DEAD RHINO 208
WA-KIKUYU WOMEN POUNDING SUGAR-CANE FOR MAKING 240
NATIVE DRINK
RIVER SCENERY 264
WAKAMBA WOMEN 300
MAP OF THE WA-KIKUYU LAND 314
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JOHN BOYES, KING OF THE WA-KIKUYU
CHAPTER I
Early youth—I run away to sea on a fishing-boat—Hardships of the
life—Take service on a tugboat—Life on board a tramp—First view of
tropical African coast—A collision at sea—Land at Durban, 1895
This book is simply an attempt to set down, in a plain and
straightforward manner, some account of the various experiences and
adventures of the author during a period of some fifteen years spent in
hunting, trading, and exploring, principally on the eastern side of the
African continent. The title has been suggested by some episodes in the
narrative, the main facts of which are within the recollection of many
of the white men now in British East Africa. These episodes caused
somewhat of a stir at the time, and the author had to stand his trial
before the local courts on a capital charge as a direct consequence of
the facts here narrated.
I was born at Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, on 11 May, 1874, so
that at the time of writing this book I am still a comparatively young
man. I lived there with my parents until I was six years of age, when I
was sent to Germany to be educated at the little town of Engelfingen,
where my parents had some relatives living, and it was here that I
received all the schooling I have ever had. This early education has
left its mark on me, and even at the present day I sometimes find it
difficult to express myself correctly in English—a fact, I hope, an
indulgent public will take into consideration.
At the age of thirteen my schooling in Germany ended, and I returned
home to my parents, who wished me to continue my school-days in Hull, as
I had received no English education whatever; but I strongly objected to
going to school again, and, evading their efforts to control me, spent
most of my time about the docks, watching the vessels in and out.
By this time my mind was bent on a seafaring life, and I lost no
opportunity of scraping acquaintance with sailors from the different
ships, whose tales of the various countries they had visited and the
strange sights they had seen fired my imagination and made me more
determined than ever to follow the sea.
I practically lived on the docks, and one of my greatest delights was to
pilot a boat round them, or to get some of my many friends among the
sailors to allow me to help with odd jobs about a vessel, such as
cleaning up the decks or polishing the brasswork; and I was fully
determined to get away to sea at the first opportunity.
My keenest desire, at this time, was to enter the Navy, but my parents
would not hear of my going to sea, and without their consent I could not
be accepted, so that idea had to be abandoned. I was determined to be a
sailor, however, and kept my eyes open for a chance of getting away on
one of the fishing-vessels sailing out of Hull, among which were still
many of the old sailing-boats, which have now been almost entirely
displaced by the steam-trawlers. When I had been at home about six
months the longed-for chance came. I got to know that one of the
trawlers was to sail at a very early hour one morning, so, stealing out
of the house before any of the other members of the family were about, I
made my way down to the docks. This being before the days of the large
tonnage steam-trawlers, the vessels carried only about five hands, and
finding that the boat on which I had set my mind was in need of a cook
and cabin-boy, I offered my services, and was duly signed on. My
knowledge of the work was nil, but, to my surprise and delight, the
captain asked no awkward questions, and I found myself enrolled as a
member of the crew of my first ship, which was bound for the North Sea
fishing-grounds, and was expected to be away for about three months.
I was very seasick on this first voyage—the only time in my life that I
have ever suffered from that complaint—and the life proved less
attractive than I had expected. In those days the lads on the
fishing-boats were very badly treated, and though I had not so much to
complain of in this respect, I found it a very trying life at the best.
The work itself was very hard, and I was liable to be called up at any
hour of the day or night to prepare hot coffee or do anything that any
member of the crew wanted me to do.
It was on this voyage that I had a very narrow escape of being drowned
in a gale which we encountered. We had taken in the second reef of the
mainsail, which hung over like a huge hammock, and I was ordered aloft
to perform the operation known as reefing the lacing. As I was crawling
along the sail a heavy sea struck the ship, carrying the boom over to
the weather side, which caused the sail to flap over and pitch me head
first into the sea. Fortunately for me, the accident was witnessed by
the crew, one of whom seized a boathook, and, as I came within reach,
managed to catch me by the belt, and so succeeded in hauling me on board
again, feeling very miserable and, of course, drenched to the skin, but
otherwise none the worse for my adventure.
With this exception, there was little out of the ordinary in my life on
the trawler, unless I mention an experience I had when we were lying off
the then British island of Heligoland.
It was the custom for the captains of the various boats to go ashore all
together, in one boat, on Sundays, and the crew also often took
advantage of the opportunity of a run ashore. One Sunday they had all
gone ashore, leaving me in sole charge of the ship, my principal duties
being to prepare the dinner and stoke the boiler of the donkey-engine so
as to keep steam up ready for hauling up the anchor at a moment’s
notice. Soon after they had gone some lads came off in a shore-boat, and
as I could speak German we were soon on the best of terms, and of course
I had to give them biscuits and show them round the ship. So engrossed
was I with my new-found friends that I forgot all about the boiler,
until I noticed a strong smell of burning. We all raced to the
engine-room, to find that the boiler was red hot and had set fire to the
woodwork round it. Not knowing what else to do, we chopped away the
woodwork and threw it overboard, and so prevented the fire spreading.
Scenting trouble ahead, my friends took to their boat and cleared out,
while I decided that it would be wise to disappear for a time also, and
so hid myself in a part of the ship where I thought I was least likely
to be found. The captain made a big fuss when he discovered the damage,
and I heard him calling loudly for me, but I thought it would be wise to
remain out of sight until he had had time to cool down; so I stayed
where I was, turning up again next morning. He did not say much when I
appeared, probably because he thought awkward questions might be asked
if any bother was made as to why a youngster like myself had been left
in sole charge of the vessel.
I returned to Hull after six months with the fishing fleet, fairly sick
of life on a trawler, and with my mind made up to try for something
better in the seafaring line.
My great idea was to get abroad and see something of the world, and I
should, so I thought, stand a better chance of doing this if I went to
Liverpool and tried to get a ship there. Having no money—my entire
worldly possessions consisted, at this time, of a few spare clothes—I
set out to walk the whole distance from Hull.
For a lad of fifteen this was no light undertaking, but, as in other
instances in my career, the very difficulties only seemed to make the
idea more attractive; so I started boldly off. Having no very clear idea
of the route to be followed, I made for York, and then continued my
journey by way of Leeds and Manchester. I had no money, so, to procure
the little food I could allow myself, I pawned my spare clothes at
different places on my way, and helped out my scanty meals with an
occasional raw turnip or carrot; and though I had to go on rather short
commons towards the end of my journey, I managed to get through without
being reduced to begging. Of course I had nothing to spare for lodgings,
and used to sleep out during the day, continuing my journey at night,
and as it was early in the year—about the beginning of May—I found the
cold at times bitter, but this was my greatest hardship.
After a rather weary journey I eventually arrived in Liverpool, very
footsore but in good spirits, and finding a lodging-house in the
sea-men’s quarter of the town, kept by an old sailor who was willing to
take me in on trust until I got a ship, I took up my quarters there,
agreeing to repay him as soon as I got a berth.
I still had a strong inclination for the Navy, so I applied at the
recruiting office, but, as I could not show my parents’ consent, they
refused to accept me, and I had to look elsewhere. At last I got a berth
on a tugboat, called the _Knight of St. John_, which was going out to
Rotterdam to tow a barque, the _Newman Hall_, into Liverpool.
While at Rotterdam I managed to get into another scrape, but,
fortunately, it was not a very serious one, though I suffered some
discomfort. It was known on board that I could speak German well, so I
was sent ashore to buy cigars and tobacco for the officers and crew. I
must have been longer away than they expected, as when I got back to the
quay the boat was gone. Having no money left, I was in a fix for a
night’s lodging, until I noticed a small wooden hut on the beach,
apparently unoccupied, so, taking shelter in this, I made myself as
comfortable as possible and went to sleep. On waking the next morning I
was astonished to find the shanty surrounded by water. It turned out to
be a hut built for the use of bathers, and at high tide was always
surrounded by the sea; consequently I had to stay where I was and wait
more or less patiently until the tide went down far enough to enable me
to wade ashore. While I was wondering what to do next I saw the tug
coming along close inshore, and shouting until I attracted attention, I
was soon aboard again.
Having got our tow-line aboard the barque, we started on our return
journey to Liverpool, but had scarcely got clear of land before it
commenced to blow heavily, and the sea became so rough that we had to
part company with the barque, which, fortunately, drifted back to
Rotterdam, while we found ourselves with only sufficient coal to take us
into Dover.
I did not stop long with the tug, as I came to the conclusion that there
was little chance of getting on in my profession if I was content to
simply knock about from ship to ship. If I was ever to get an officer’s
certificate, I must start by getting a berth as A.B. (able seaman), in
an ocean-going ship, so that I could put in the four years’ regular sea
service which I should have to show before going up for my certificate,
of which at least twelve months had to be on a sailing ship trading to
foreign ports. I therefore looked out for a suitable berth, and at last
shipped on a barque, the _Lake Simcoe_, trading to South America.
I had, as usual, my share of incident during the voyage.
Whilst trading in Brazil, we made a trip up the River Amazon, during
which I got a touch of yellow fever, and on arriving at Laguna, where we
had to take some logwood on board, I was put ashore to go into hospital.
I do not know what alterations have been made since I was there, but at
that time the hospital was a gloomy enough building, with heavily barred
slits in the wall for windows, and used indifferently as hospital,
lunatic asylum, and gaol, while the strong resemblance to a prison was
heightened by the fact that the place was always guarded by a detachment
of soldiers.
The hospital arrangements were disgusting and reckless, no regard being
paid either to sanitation or the prevention of infection. All manner of
diseases were mixed indiscriminately in the same ward, while the duties
of orderlies and attendants on the patients were undertaken by some of
the more harmless among the lunacy cases!
One gruesome discovery which I made soon after my entry was that the
establishment possessed only one coffin, which had to do duty for each
fatal case in turn, being made with a sliding bottom, which reduced the
work of lowering the corpse into the grave to a minimum. When a case
ended fatally, the corpse was placed in this coffin—which was always
kept in the ward—and taken out for burial, the coffin being afterwards
returned to its place in the hospital, in full view of the other
patients! As there were generally three or four funerals every day, it
may be easily imagined that the effect on those left behind was not the
most cheering.
One other custom in the hospital struck me as very peculiar. When a
patient became very bad the attendant generally gave him a spoonful of a
substance which, from the smell, I have since thought must have been
opium. Whether or not this was merely given to relieve pain I cannot
say: I only know that the patient invariably died soon after taking it.
One day the spoon was brought to me, so I asked the attendant, one of
the harmless lunatics, to place it on the table by my bedside. Occupying
the adjoining pallet was a Brazilian soldier, who, waking up in the
night, asked if he might have the stuff in the spoon, as he was in
terrible pain. Thinking it might relieve him, I made no objection, and
he eagerly swallowed the lot. The next morning he was dead!
After this experience, I was anxious to get out of my present quarters
as rapidly as possible, and a chance came a day or two afterwards of
which I at once took advantage. It happened to be Sunday, and my bed
being close to one of the slits which served for windows, I heard the
voices of some of the crew of the _Lake Simcoe_ outside. I at once
shouted to attract their attention, and begged them to get me out of
this awful hole. Recognising my voice, they threw themselves on the
soldiers guarding the place, and, after a struggle, managed to get in,
and carried me off. I was fearfully weak, and scarcely able to stand,
but they managed to get me aboard ship at last, where, with proper
attention, I soon recovered.
On the homeward voyage we had terribly rough weather in the Atlantic,
and the ship became top-heavy, listing to such an extent that the
fore-yard-arms were practically in the water the whole time. For days we
were drenched to the skin with the big seas which broke over the vessel
continually, and the hull being practically under water, I wrapped
myself in a blanket—having no dry clothing left—and kept my watch seated
on the mast, which dipped in and out of the water with every roll of the
ship.
To add to our misfortune, scurvy broke out very badly among the crew,
owing to the wretched quality of the food, and, altogether, we were very
thankful when we at last made Falmouth harbour.
Shortly after my return I joined the Royal Naval Reserve, in which I had
to put in a month’s drill every year, as I was still bent on getting
into the Navy, if possible, and I thought that, if I could work my way
up to a Lieutenancy in the Reserve, I might manage it that way.
By this time I had done my twelve months in a sailing ship; so, by
shipping on steamers trading to different parts, I was able to visit
many interesting places. For twelve months I was on a boat trading
between the various ports on the coast of India, and on another voyage
was in a ship taking pilgrims from Port Said to Jedda. Our passengers on
this voyage were chiefly Arabs and Turks on their way to Mecca. For
another trip I shipped in one of the Royal Niger Company’s boats, and we
went up the West Coast of Africa with trading goods, chiefly old
flint-lock rifles and gunpowder. We also had on board two or three white
men, who were going on an exploring trip into the interior.
I was very much impressed with this part of the world, the tropical
scenery was so magnificent on either side of the rivers, while I was
intensely interested in the natives who came down to trade with the
ship. I made up my mind that I would go into the interior myself some
day, and get to know more about the country and its people. As it turned
out, a good many things were to happen before this intention was carried
out.
During this trip I contracted malarial fever, and not being able to
shake it off, had to go into hospital at Rotterdam on our return. On my
recovery I spent some time on coasting vessels trading out to Guernsey,
and one night, when we had put into Dungeness, through stress of
weather, I had another startling experience.
Roused out of my sleep—it was my watch below—by a shout of “All hands on
deck!” I rushed up, just in time to see another ship coming directly
towards us. We shouted, but she kept on her course, and in a few seconds
crashed into us. Apparently everybody lost their heads at once, and a
scene of utter confusion followed, nobody appearing to know what to do.
I saw that the yards of the two vessels had become entangled, and
expected every minute to see them fall, and crush the boat, which was
stowed away on deck; so I made my way to the poop, and shouted to the
crew to get the boat out at once. So great was the confusion that it is
almost impossible to say what really happened. I only know that I
eventually found myself in a boat with only one other man, and as we
pulled off we saw the ship which had done the mischief apparently
drifting away. Pulling to her, we managed to scramble aboard, and, to
our great surprise, found that there was not a single soul on board, and
we then remembered seeing her crew jumping on board our vessel at the
time of the collision. Everything was in apple-pie order, and the lamp
lit, and we could not find anything the matter with the ship, so that
her crew must have been seized with a sudden fit of panic, and abandoned
her in their fright. We were on board just in time to steer her clear of
a steamer, and then we dropped anchor. The following morning her crew
returned on board, looking rather foolish, and we were transferred to
our own vessel, which was then towed to London.
I put in a claim on account of salvage, and after a good deal of delay,
found that the owners had settled for salvage, demurrage, and loss with
the captain of the barque, who was also the owner. I had left the ship
when we reached London, but happened to meet the captain later on in
Hull, when he invited me to accompany him to Guernsey, to see about my
share of the salvage money. At the last minute I found that I could not
go, so he promised to write me on the matter, but on the homeward voyage
his boat was lost, and he went down with it, so the letter never
arrived. Although very disappointed at the loss of my expected windfall,
I was very glad I had not been able to go with the captain, or I should
have lost my life as well.
Since my last voyage I had been working up for my certificate, attending
a Navigation School on Prince’s Dock Side, in Hull: but I was doomed to
disappointment, as, when I came to be medically examined, the doctor
found that my eyesight was affected, and could not pass me. This was the
result of the yellow fever from which I had suffered in Brazil.
After this I had to give up all hopes of the sea as a career, unless I
was willing to remain before the mast all my life, and that was by no
means my idea; so my thoughts turned to Africa, and I remembered the
impression made on my mind by the little I had already seen of it, and
the attraction which the idea of its huge unexplored districts had
always had for me since my school-days, and I decided to see what I
could do out there.
Being again at the end of my money, the only way I could get there was
by working my passage, and as I could not get a berth in any boat going
from Hull, I went to London, and being successful, landed at Durban, in
Natal, just after the Jameson Raid.