UNYAMYEMBE.--AMONG THE ARABS.--MARCHING TOWARD THE COAST.
Having finished our journey down the Livingstone to the shores of the
Atlantic, in company with Stanley, we will return to our young friends
in Unyamwezi.
Three days sufficed to arrange the plans for their future movements. On
the morning of the fourth day the servants packed the tents and baggage,
and the party was ready to move in the direction of Unyamyembe and
Zanzibar. Previous to starting they made a farewell visit to Mirambo, to
whom they gave additional presents. The king was not to be outdone in
generosity, and ordered his officers to see that they had all the
provisions that would be needed for the journey to Unyamyembe.
Just as they were about to make their farewells to Mirambo, Abdul came
to the Doctor's side and whispered a few words in his ear.
The quick eye of the king saw that something was wrong, and he asked
what was the matter.
Doctor Bronson replied that some twenty or more of the pagazi refused to
move unless they were paid in advance, and they demanded double wages
for the journey before starting.
Evidently the king was accustomed to this sort of thing, as he beckoned
to one of his officers and spoke briefly to him, in a low tone. The
officer left the audience-hall immediately, and Mirambo assumed an
attitude of waiting for something to turn up.
In a quarter of an hour or so there was a commotion outside, and the
officer returned to the royal presence. The whole party followed him
into the open air, and found the rebellious porters, their hands bound
together with strong cords, and a guard of spearmen standing by to see
that none of them escaped.
Mirambo's manner was decisive, and our friends had no reason to complain
of the sluggishness of African justice.
He told the pagazi they would be sold as slaves unless they went
peacefully with the strangers without any pay in advance. Of course
they promised obedience on the instant, and in less than three minutes
the whole matter was arranged. Mirambo added that they might consider
themselves very fortunate if they received any pay at all after such
rebellious conduct.
Abdul marched the men back to camp, accompanied by the guard of
Mirambo's men. At the request of the Doctor a guard was detailed to
accompany them on the road, to keep the porters from straying. More
presents were given to the king for his administration of justice, and
it was agreed that the guard should be paid in cloth and beads on their
arrival at Unyamyembe. The soldiers were delighted at the prospect of
occupation for which they would be paid, as it was not the custom of the
king to waste his property by giving them anything for their services.
One of them told Mohammed that they only received their food and
clothing. As they wore next to nothing, and helped themselves to bananas
and other fruits wherever they could find them, there was reason to
believe that the army of Mirambo was not an expensive one.
[Illustration: A DESERTER BROUGHT BACK.]
During the day one of the porters deserted with his load. The guard went
in search of him, and he was soon brought into camp and led to the
Doctor's tent for punishment. Doctor Bronson dismissed him without
payment. He did not need the man any longer, owing to the reduction of
their supplies by the last batch of presents to Mirambo. The fellow was
overjoyed at the mildness of his sentence, as he had expected to lose
his head for his disobedience.
[Illustration: A NATIVE GUARD.]
A march of five days took the party to Tabora, a town of the province or
district of Unyamyembe, and frequently called by the latter instead of
the former name. It is about three hundred and sixty miles from the
coast in a direct line, and the distance to Zanzibar is reckoned, in
round figures, at five hundred miles. The district was occupied by Arabs
from Zanzibar about forty years ago. They came there to trade, and, by
arrangement with one of the native rulers, they established villages,
planted fields, and became permanent residents. Unyamyembe is a province
of Unyamwezi, and has become a meeting-place of the merchants for all
the central region of Africa. The Arabs have regular and frequent
communication with Zanzibar by means of their caravans, and the lines of
commercial travel diverge from Unyamyembe in all directions. In the busy
season of the year they may be counted by dozens or scores, while at
other times their number will be very small.
Frank and Fred began to think they were returning to civilization when
they saw the commodious houses of the Arabs in Tabora, and the apparent
comfort in which these merchants lived. They had sent forward a
messenger to announce their coming, according to the custom of the
country, and when a short distance from the town they met Said bin Amir,
one of the resident merchants, who had come out to meet them.
The merchant was clad in the flowing robes which proclaimed him a
disciple of Mohammed, and his features were readily distinguishable from
those of the negroes. He invited our friends to his house, and said he
would accompany them to call on the governor as soon as that dignitary
was ready to receive them.
[Illustration: SAID BIN AMIR'S HOUSE.]
The house was a single story in height and covered a considerable area.
Frank and Fred were reminded of some of the houses they visited in
Egypt, and especially of the one where they were lodged at Khartoum. In
fact, it was the finest dwelling they had seen since leaving the capital
of the Soudan provinces, with the possible exception of the palace of
King M'tesa. It was built round a court-yard, and there was a veranda in
front, where they sat in the shade and sipped the delicious coffee which
their host ordered as soon as they were seated.
A message came that the governor was ready to see them, and they went at
once to his residence, escorted by Said bin Amir and one of his friends,
who had dropped in to have a look at the travellers. The governor
welcomed them with the same hospitality they had already experienced
from his loyal subject, and after a short conversation concerning their
plans, and with an offer of assistance in case of need, he escorted them
to the house which was to be their residence during their stay.
It was a commodious dwelling, admirably adapted for lodging the entire
party, with its retinue of servants and other attendants, and with a
large yard, where donkeys could be tied and the porters kept from
straying on the eve of departure. Frank and Fred were delighted to learn
that they were on historic ground, or rather under an historic roof, as
the house where they were quartered was the same which had been occupied
by Livingstone, Stanley, and Cameron during their stay in Unyamyembe.
The walls were of sun-dried bricks, such as are called _adobe_ in
Mexico. The roof was flat, and covered with mud, so that it formed an
admirable lounging-place at the close of the day.
As soon as he had installed them in their temporary home the governor
said they mast dine with him in the afternoon, and meet the principal
merchants of the place. Doctor Bronson hesitated for the moment, as he
thought they would be busy during the entire day with paying off the
porters and guard, who were to go back from this point, and settling
other details of their journey. The governor said there need be no
hurry, as the men would be quite willing to wait till the next day for
their settlement; and besides, some of them would be likely to stray off
during the night, and thus remove the necessity for paying them. This
was an Arab way of regarding the matter which greatly amused the Doctor,
and was heartily enjoyed by Frank and Fred.
The dinner was an excellent one, and consisted of curried chicken, roast
mutton, wheat-cakes, and stewed plantains, together with plenty of milk,
butter, and fruits. Of course they had coffee in true Arab style. The
Arab merchants were not at table with them, but dropped in at the end of
the meal and partook of the coffee and pipes.
The next morning the pagazi and guard were paid off and discharged, and
the governor sent word that he expected they would leave town
immediately. Before noon they were all out of the way, and the governor
came to accompany the three strangers in ceremonious calls upon the
principal merchants whom they had met the evening before at his house.
The calls occupied the entire afternoon; and as it was necessary to eat
and drink at every house they entered, our friends returned from their
visit without any appetite for dinner. Frank said he felt much like a
turkey that has been "crammed" for fattening, and Fred thought he could
forego eating for at least a couple of days. They had done their best to
show their appreciation of the kindness of their hosts, but thought it
would not be conducive to their health to come often to Unyamyembe.
They returned the compliment of the governor by asking him to dinner on
the day after the round of calls. The boys arranged the bill of fare,
with the aid of Abdul, and treated his excellency to several rare
dishes. Whether he liked the plum-pudding, canned oysters, and other
imported luxuries, or only ate them out of politeness, they were unable
to discover; at all events, he appeared to do so, and they could ask no
more.
[Illustration: GETTING READY FOR THE ROAD.]
The ceremonies of introduction being over, they at once set about their
preparations for the journey to the coast. They were aided materially in
their work by the governor and the principal merchants. The smaller
traders threw various obstacles in their way, by inducing the pagazi to
desert after they had been employed and received their retaining fee,
and the matter finally became so serious that the Doctor made complaint
to the governor, who ordered a stoppage of the interference.
Fortunately for their plans several caravans had recently arrived from
the coast, and there was a good supply of porters seeking engagements to
return. One of the merchants was about sending a caravan to Zanzibar
with a quantity of ivory. He proposed to unite with the Doctor's party
in engaging pagazi, and thus prevent the competition that would
inevitably arise if they were both in the market at the same time.
Doctor Bronson accepted the proposal, and in two or three days the
merchant announced that he had all the men needed for both expeditions.
The price of porters varies according to the supply, the demand being
sometimes very high, and at others decidedly low. An important feature
of the contract was, that the men were to be paid on their arrival at
the coast, and not at starting; consequently it would not be necessary
to carry the goods needed for their payment, as the merchant was well
known to the porters, and they readily accepted his guarantee of
responsibility.
[Illustration: HALTING-PLACE UNDER A SYCAMORE.]
The ordinary porters received the equivalent of ten dollars each in
cloth at Zanzibar prices, and were to be paid off at Bagamoya, the port
from which the traders cross to Zanzibar. The ivory-porters received two
dollars extra, in consideration of the peculiar shape of their burdens
and the difficulty of handling them. The largest tusks were slung
between two men, as they were too heavy for a single porter; and these
double porters have a traditional right of refusing to march more than
ten miles a day.
In addition to their wages the porters are to be fed on the road, and
the master of the caravan must be prepared to purchase the necessary
provisions. For this purpose he carries a supply of cloth and beads, and
a great deal of bargaining is required in making purchases. Where the
country is peaceable a trusty man is sent ahead of the caravan to make
arrangements; but if the natives are hostile this cannot be done, as the
messenger would be liable to be waylaid and killed. The road between
Unyamyembe and Zanzibar is now so well known, and so frequently
travelled, that the route is divided into marches, and the natives
derive quite an income from supplying the wants of the caravans. The
expense of feeding a caravan is set down at about five dollars for each
porter, and perhaps twice as much for the _askari_, or Arab soldiers,
who are almost invariably taken along as an escort. Goats and bullocks
supply the meat for feeding the porters, and the vegetable part of their
bill of fare includes sweet-potatoes, manioc, rice, bananas, meal from
wheat and corn, and anything else that the region through which they
pass happens to offer. Occasionally fish are caught from the rivers, and
game is shot in the forest, but they cannot be relied upon as a regular
supply.
[Illustration: A HOUSE IN UNYAMYEMBE.]
And now what do you suppose happened to Frank and Fred?
Without having intended doing so beforehand, they became
ivory-merchants. It happened in this way:
They found, on making an inventory of their goods, that they had
considerably more than was needed for paying the expenses of their
journey to the coast. Of course they desired to sell the surplus, and
found the Arab merchants ready to buy. Money was not available, and they
were obliged to take the currency of the country, which was ivory.
The party became the owner of thirty tusks of ivory, and the property
was consigned to the special care of Frank. The young man took especial
pride in looking after this valuable series of burdens, and announced
his determination to keep it constantly under his eye during the long
journey. Abdul damped his ardor a little by telling him that the
etiquette of African travel would forbid his doing so, and advising the
employment of a trusty man to accompany the porters, and see that the
ivory was properly piled at Frank's tent-door at night.
[Illustration: UNYAMWEZI HEADS.]
Frank adopted the suggestion, and immediately engaged Mohammed for the
post of Superintendent of Ivory Transport. He promised an extra payment
of wages to Mohammed, in case no harm came to any of the tusks on the
journey, and told him to make a similar offer to the porters. Every
night the tusks were piled at his tent-door and carefully counted, and
every morning he saw them safely on the shoulders of their bearers. The
result was that not a porter deserted or gave his load to any one else,
and when they reached Bagamoya Frank distributed in person the promised
rewards.
The united caravan of Doctor Bronson's party and the merchant, Ahmed ibn
Suleyman, numbered a little over three hundred porters, besides an
escort of twenty askari, armed with muskets. Numbers in an African
caravan are both an advantage and the reverse. A large caravan is less
liable to attack than a small one; but, on the other hand, it is much
more difficult to feed while on the road. Many of the places where water
is obtainable consist of small springs, and a large caravan is too much
for their capacity.
[Illustration: Mganga, or Medicine-man. The Porter. The Kirangozi, or
Guide.
Muinyl Kidogo. Mother and Child.
MEMBERS OF THE CARAVAN.]
Our friends were sixteen days in Unyamyembe, and thoroughly enjoyed
their stay. The governor and merchants were unremitting in their
attentions, and kept them constantly supplied with milk, honey, butter,
and other necessaries of daily life, for which it would have been an
affront to offer payment. They consoled themselves with the reflection
that they had disbursed a considerable amount of money, or its
equivalent, in their preparations for departure, and that most of it
would find its way, directly or indirectly, into the pockets of the
Arabs.
Farewell calls were made on the sixteenth day, and on the morning of the
seventeenth there was great excitement around the house where they had
been so comfortably lodged. A long file of porters stood ready for their
burdens; servants were busy with the work of packing; Abdul and
Mohammed were flying here and there, the latter reminding Fred of the
American simile of a dog bitten by a hornet; and Frank was standing
guard over his cherished ivory. It was late in the forenoon before the
last burden was shouldered, and the donkeys were led up for their riders
to mount and be off.
The first day's march is generally a short one, and the present proved
no exception to the rule. The camp was made about five miles away, close
to a small village in the midst of several rice-fields. A great deal of
rice is grown in Unyamyembe, and it is a staple article of food with the
people. Twenty loads were bought for the use of the caravan while
passing through the Kigwa forest, which adjoins Unyamyembe, and does not
produce rice.
Before daylight next morning the camp was roused, a hurried breakfast
was eaten, and a little past six the column was in motion. Frank
described the caravan in his journal, and it is quite possible that he
refreshed his memory by a sly glance at Burton's account of his journey
to Central Africa:
[Illustration: GRINDING MEAL FOR SUPPER.]
"The line of march is taken by the kirangozi, or guide, and any man who
attempts to precede him is liable to a fine. He carries a small flag, to
indicate that the caravan belongs to an Arab merchant, and his dress is
a strange combination of odds and ends of things. For the odds, he has a
head-dress made of a monkey's skin and a bunch of feathers; and for the
ends, he has the tail of a jackal, or some other animal, fastened by
means of a belt around his waist, and appearing as though it grew from
his own backbone. Two or three small gourds or packets, enclosing magic
powders for protection on the road, are also hung at his belt; and he
has a strip of broadcloth, which he sometimes suspends from his neck,
while at others he rolls it carefully into a bundle, to keep it from the
rain.
[Illustration: STOREHOUSE FOR GRAIN.]
"The kirangozi is followed by a favored pagazi, who carries a light
load, and beats a small kettle-drum, shaped very much like an
hour-glass. Immediately behind him are the ivory porters, with their
burdens, wrapped around with leaves and bamboos, partly for protection
of the material, but more especially for convenience in handling. Then
come the bearers of cloth and beads, and then the other porters, laden
with rhinoceros-horns, skins of animals, bags of salt, rice, and other
provisions, together with brass wire, boxes, bags, beds, tents, and
private stores of the merchant and ourselves. Then come the men of the
escort, and then the women and children that invariably accompany the
caravan, but are not allowed to march in the same group as the porters.
The men in charge of the porters are scattered along the line, and the
rear is closed by the masters of the caravan, mounted on their donkeys,
and immediately preceded by the donkeys, laden with burdens.
"The drivers of these animals have a good deal of trouble to keep their
beasts from straying, and at every halt there is a liberal display of
kicking propensities on the part of the four-footed travellers.
"Our column stretches a good half-mile along the road, and, from points
where the whole of it is visible, from a little distance it looks like
an enormous serpent dragging itself slowly over the ground. After a
march of two or three hours there is a halt, and the guide endeavors to
find a place near a pool of water or under the shade of trees. He plants
his flag in the ground and blows a long blast upon a horn. The signal is
understood, and a sort of cheer goes along the entire line. The porters
stack their loads, and lie down on the ground for a quarter of an hour
or so, and some of them take the opportunity to devour a few mouthfuls
of food. In a little while the horn sounds again, and the march is
resumed. We usually embrace the opportunity to complete the breakfast
for which we had only a slight appetite at the early start.
"The march continues till noon, or a little later, and then we stop to
make our camp, and get ready to pass the night as comfortably as we can.
Sometimes we have a long halt at mid-day, and march in the afternoon.
Our movements depend considerably upon the character of the country
where we are travelling, and the distance from one watering-place to
another. Where we halt early the men generally build their own huts,
when they can find the materials; but if the march is late they pass the
night in a village, or in the _krall_, or public lodging-yard. They
consider it a hardship to sleep in the open air, and will not do so if
they can avoid it.
[Illustration: AN AFRICAN FERRY.]
"We have all the varieties of country you can imagine, and perhaps two
or three more. We have level plains and rough hills, dense forests and
wide stretches of open ground, thickets of thorn-bushes and patches of
the softest grass, rough rocks and smooth sand, rivers of varying size
and dry channels, where not a drop of water can be seen, and broad
areas which are beautiful plains in the dry season and trackless bogs
in the period of heavy rains. Happily for us, the country is so well
travelled that its peculiarities are known and the worst places can be
avoided. What we should suffer if we were engaged in an exploration, and
had no guide to show us the way, I shudder to contemplate.
[Illustration: CROSSING A PLAIN.]
"The roads are mere paths, as though made by oxen or goats, and the
engineering in many places is inferior to what we might expect from
those animals. In open country there are frequently four or five lines
parallel to each other for some distance, while in dense forests or
thickets the roads take the form of tunnels under the trees, which are
very inconvenient for the mounted traveller. He finds himself constantly
'bobbing' to save his head from the thorns, and very frequently fails to
do so. The paths are generally plain enough during the dry season, but
in the period of rains they are obliterated by the water, and the
intelligence of the guide is the traveller's sole reliance. Among fields
and villages the paths are enclosed by hedges, and not unfrequently by
tall fences of logs, which are intended to prevent thefts on the part of
the passing caravans."