It appeared that Munza had shown us the greatest marks of favour. As
a rule he received strangers very coldly and rarely addressed them,
and to converse with any one at such length as he had done with us
was a mark of distinguished regard.
We could estimate our advance in royal favour by comparing the
attitude of his courtiers after his departure with their manner
towards us before his arrival. Two hours previously they had been
silent and reserved, but now they showed themselves eager to make our
acquaintance, polite, and rather troublesome. They surrounded us and
asked all sorts of questions, jostling each other to inspect us
closely and touch our clothes. Some presumptuous hands reached our
faces, and we were obliged to rap the knuckles of the most
importunate with the handles of our hunting knives. Assisted by
Nassar and our interpreter, we made a regular ring round Madame de
Guéran, and were, fortunately, able to prevent any one from coming
near her.
Miss Poles was, also, the object of the most lively curiosity; her
spectacles were a source of wonder, and her general appearance was
evidently bewildering. But we were not at all uneasy about the fair
Beatrice; she was a woman eminently calculated to take care of
herself, and she did not fall short of our expectations, her hands
being very busy about the ears of those who came too near her.
After having left the audience hall and traversed the courts and
gardens of the palace, we found ourselves once more in the midst of
the crowd, who, to do honour to their King's guests, treated us to
some more music, and escorted us as far as our camp. Then, and only
then, did we get rid of their too pressing attentions, thanks
entirely to our bearers, who had occupied their leisure moments,
during our absence, in enclosing our kraal with a strong palisading.
By a delicate attention, evidently due to Munza himself, who was
alive to the spirit of curiosity inherent in his subjects, we were
also furnished with a guard of fifty men, armed with long poles, who
patrolled round the encampment and kept all intruders away.
Nor was this all. Another right royal surprise awaited us, for in the
hut, constructed for the reception of our baggage and food, we found
the most valuable present we could possibly have had under the
circumstances. It consisted of provisions of all kinds—grain,
vegetables, fruit, fowls, goats, and beer. Our host had foreseen all
our wants and our wishes, and if he had shown himself but little
disposed to be communicative towards us, he was lavish enough in
other ways.
We lost no time in despatching to him, as a present, a novel object,
calculated to take the fancy of all Africans, although they have not
the remotest idea how to use it and are very likely to break it. It
was a tolerably large musical box. To it we added a capital watch,
the case of which was copper, silver and gold being unknown in this
country and invariably mistaken for tin and copper.
Whilst waiting for the repast being prepared for us by our head-cook,
a Nubian _cordon-bleu_, assisted by two Soudan women, also well-versed
in the culinary art, we reviewed the incidents of the day. It
is clear that Munza, in appearance at all events, is well disposed
towards us; but will he be able to give us the desired information,
which he will be asked to impart during our interview to-morrow? We
begin to have our doubts about it. During his conversation with de
Morin, not a single allusion, however indirect, was made to M. de
Guéran. The King talked about Schweinfurth, and recollected him
perfectly, albeit the African memory is treacherous to a degree, but
he did not say a single word bearing on our countryman.
Why this reserve? To what end this silence? Does not Munza know
anything? Has he never seen M. de Guéran? Is he ignorant that this
European has passed through his dominions, a fact testified to by
Nassar, and recorded by our countryman himself in his letters? It is
difficult to give credence to this apparent want of knowledge. How is
it possible that a despot, surrounded by innumerable emissaries,
should have failed to be warned of the arrival of a white man in his
kingdom?
We summoned Nassar, and asked him if the silence of the King had not
surprised him, if he did not expect Munza to mention M. de Guéran,
whose visit to him was of later date than that of Schweinfurth? Our
guide replied that he had quite expected the King to mention M. de
Guéran, but he added that the negroes easily forget what is reported
to them on the subject of any conversation, and remember facts alone.
Munza had seen Schweinfurth, received him at court, and shaken hands
with him; these were facts, and he could remember them. M. de Guéran,
on the other hand, was only known to him by hearsay, and, therefore,
may have escaped his memory.
"You admit, then," I asked, "that our countryman may have passed
through this country without seeing the King?"
"Certainly," replied Nassar. "Fearing to be stopped by Munza, as my
master, Schweinfurth was, he very probably continued his route
southwards, without halting here."
"Nevertheless, he did halt, for, according to your own account, you
entertained him for twenty-four hours."
"Not in this district," answered Nassar, quickly. "It was in a
territory lying to the south-east of us, forming part of Munza's
kingdom, but under the administration of Degberra, one of his
brothers. I was there, as I have already told you, managing a branch
trading establishment, belonging to Aboo-Sammit, and Munza does not
allow any depôt to be set up in the provinces governed by himself in
person."
This explanation was probable enough. Indeed, M. de Guéran alluded in
his letter to the kingdom of the Monbuttoos, but he did not mention
the name of Munza. This latter personage, therefore, may, as Nassar
suggests, very well have forgotten the accidental presence, in his
dominions, of a stranger whom he never saw. By making an appeal to
his memory, we shall, doubtless, obtain some useful hints.
Thanks to the liberality of the African potentate, our dinner, the
best we have had for the last three months, was a very cheerful meal.
Joseph alone, who waited on us as usual, was melancholy in the
extreme. He handed us the dishes with an air of sadness, trembling at
the slightest sound; if any of us asked for a knife and fork in a
louder tone than usual, he turned pale, and once I caught him in the
act of wiping his eyes on the table-napkin which hung over his arm.
And yet, he ought to be in good spirits and proud of the part he
played during the day. The monarch of a mighty nation, one of those
sovereigns who is feared and respected without any reservation or
opposition, such as is so often the case in Europe, had condescended
to address him personally, and had for a moment taken him to be the
leader of the caravan. Was it that he could not realize his good
fortune? Did he now despise those gratifying tributes to his
_amour-propre_, formerly so eagerly sought after by him? What was
passing in his troubled spirit?
At dessert we demanded an explanation. He hesitated at first and
begged to be excused, but at last, under the pressure of renewed
importunities, he struck a theatrical attitude, and exclaimed
suddenly, and in stilted tones—
"_Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes_."
We looked at him with amazement, and then burst out laughing.
"You know Latin, it appears," said de Morin, when he had recovered
his composure.
"Certainly," replied Joseph, bridling. "Before I went to service, I
was in the fourth class at a provincial school."
"What are you talking about? You were in the fourth class—you! In
what capacity—professor, perhaps?"
"No sir."
"Pupil, then?"
"No, sir, nor pupil either."
"What then? Out with it."
"As a servant, sir. I brushed the clothes, swept the room, lighted
the fires, and whilst attending to these duties, I listened to the
lectures of the Professors, read the exercise books of the pupils,
and gained instruction."
"Then," continued de Morin, making frantic efforts to prevent himself
from laughing in the face of his servant, "you know the meaning of
the sentence you have quoted?"
"Certainly, sir," replied Joseph. "_Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes_
means, I fear the Greeks, especially, when they come with gifts in
their hands."
"A perfect translation, but why did you let fly the quotation full in
our faces in this unexpected fashion?"
"Sir," said Joseph, with a most serious air, "I consider that it has
a local signification, for the Greeks, according to my idea, are
represented by the Monbuttoos, and the word 'gifts' means food,
provisions, meals. The quotation, therefore, stands as if I had said—
'I fear the Monbuttoos, and the meals with which they are providing
us.'"
"And why this fear, Joseph?" asked de Morin. "Do you think that the
food is poisoned? It is rather late in the day to tell us so."
"No, sir, but I cannot divest myself of the idea that this nation of
cannibals is overwhelming us with provisions and fattening us up, so
that later on they may dine off us with greater enjoyment."
De Morin could not contain himself any longer. He roared with
laughter, and we all joined him.
Joseph appeared perfectly scandalized at the unseemly mirth, and kept
on saying—
"It is not my own opinion that I have given utterance to. It is the
opinion of all the bearers, and their only motive for working so hard
at the construction of a palisade round the camp was their fear of
being attacked to-night. Alas! will it protect us?"