Volume I Part 17 (1/2)
_19th May, 1867._--Where we were brought to a standstill was miserably cold (55), so we had prayers and went on S. and S.W. to the village of Chisaka.
_20th May, 1867._--Chitimba's village was near in the same direction; here we found a large party of Arabs, mostly black Suahelis. They occupied an important portion of the stockaded village, and when I came in, politely showed me to a shed where they are in the habit of meeting. After explaining whence I had come, I showed them the Sultan's letter. Harnees presented a goat, two fowls, and a quant.i.ty of flour. It was difficult to get to the bottom of the Nsama affair, but according to their version that chief sent an invitation to them, and when they arrived called for his people, who came in crowds--as he said to view the strangers. I suspect that the Arabs became afraid of the crowds and began to fire; several were killed on both sides, and Nsama fled, leaving his visitors in possession of the stockaded village and all it contained. Others say that there was a dispute about an elephant, and that Nsama's people were the aggressors. At any rate it is now all confusion; those who remain at Nsama's village help themselves to food in the surrounding villages and burn them, while Chitimba has sent for the party who are quartered here to come to him.
An hour or two after we arrived a body of men came from Kasonso, with the intention of proceeding into the country of Nsama, and if possible catching Nsama, ”he having broken public law by attacking people who brought merchandise into the country.” This new expedition makes the Arabs resolve to go and do what they can to injure their enemy. It will just be a plundering foray--each catching what he can, whether animal or human, and retiring when it is no longer safe to plunder!
This throws the barrier of a broad country between me and Lake ”Moero”
in the west, but I trust in Providence a way will be opened. I think now of going southwards and then westwards, thus making a long detour round the disturbed district.
The name of the princ.i.p.al Arab is Hamees Wodim Tagh, the other is Syde bin Alie bin Mansure: they are connected with one of the most influential native mercantile houses in Zanzibar. Hamees has been particularly kind to me in presenting food, beads, cloth, and getting information. Thami bin Snaelim is the Arab to whom my goods are directed at Ujiji.
_24th May, 1867._--At Chitimba's we are waiting to see what events turn up to throw light on our western route. Some of the Arabs and Kasonso's men went off to-day: they will bring information perhaps as to Nsama's haunts, and then we shall move south and thence west. Wrote to Sir Thomas Maclear, giving the position of Liemba and to Dr.
Seward, in case other letters miscarry. The hot season is beginning now. This corresponds to July further south.
Three goats were killed by a leopard close to the village in open day.
_28th May, 1867._--Information came that Nsama begged pardon of the.
Arabs, and would pay all that they had lost. He did not know of his people stealing from them: we shall hear in a day or two whether the matter is to be patched up or not. While some believe his statements, others say, ”Nsama's words of peace are simply to gain time to make another stockade:” in the mean time Kasonso's people will ravage all his country on this eastern side.
Hamees is very anxious that I should remain a few days longer, till Kasonso's son, Kampamba, comes with _certain_ information, and then he will see to our pa.s.sing safely to Chiwere's village from Kasonso's.
All have confidence in this last-named chief as an upright man.
_1st June, 1867._--Another party of marauders went off this morning to plunder Nsama's country to the west of the confluence of the Lofu as a punishment for a breach of public law. The men employed are not very willing to go, but when they taste the pleasure of plunder they will relish it more!
The watershed begins to have a northern slope about Moamba's, lat. 10 10' S., but the streams are very tortuous, and the people have very confused ideas as to where they run. The Lokhopa, for instance, was a.s.serted by all the men at Moamba's to flow into Lokholu, and then into a river going to Liemba, but a young wife of Moamba, who seemed very intelligent, maintained that Lokhopa and Lokholu went to the Chambeze; I therefore put it down thus. The streams which feed the Chambeze and the Liemba overlap each other, and it would require a more extensive survey than I can give to disentangle them.
North of Moamba, on the Merenge, the slope begins to Liemba. The Lofu rises in Chibue's country, and with its tributaries we have long ridges of denudation, each some 500 or 600 feet high, and covered with green trees. The valleys of denudation enclosed by these hill ranges guide the streams towards Liemba or the four rivers which flow into it. The country gradually becomes lower, warmer, and tsetse and mosquitoes appear; so at last we come to the remarkable cup-shaped cavity in which Liemba reposes. Several streams fall down the nearly perpendicular cliffs, and form beautiful cascades. The lines of denudation are continued, one range rising behind another as far as the eye can reach to the north and east of Liemba, and probably the slope continues away down to Tanganyika. The watershed extends westwards to beyond Casembe, and the Luapula, or Chambeze, rises in the same parallels of lat.i.tude as does the Lofu and the Lonzna.
The Arabs inform me that between this and the sea, about 200 miles distant, lies the country of the Wasango--called: Usango--a fair people, like Portuguese, and very friendly to strangers. The Wasango possess plenty of cattle: their chief is called Merere.[53] They count this twenty-five days, while the distance thence to the sea at Bagamoio is one month and twenty-five days--say 440 miles. Uchere is very far off northwards, but a man told me that he went to a salt-manufactory in that direction in eight days from Kasonso's.
Merere goes frequently on marauding expeditions for cattle, and is instigated thereto by his mother.
What we understand by primeval forest is but seldom seen in the interior here, though the country cannot be described otherwise than as generally covered with interminable forests. Insects kill or dwarf some trees, and men maim others for the sake of the bark-cloth; elephants break down a great number, and it is only here and there that gigantic specimens are seen: they may be expected in shut-in valleys among mountains, but on the whole the trees are scraggy, and the varieties not great. The different sorts of birds which sing among the branches seem to me to exceed those of the Zambesi region, but I do not shoot them: the number of new notes I hear astonishes me.
The country in which we now are is called by the Arabs and natives Ulungu, that farther north-west is named Marunga. Hamees is on friendly terms with the Mazitu (Watuta) in the east, who do not plunder. The chief sent a man to Kasonso lately, and he having received a present went away highly pleased.
Hamees is certainly very anxious to secure my safety. Some men came from the N.E. to inquire about the disturbance here and they recommend that I should go with them, and then up the east side of the Lake to Ujiji; but that would ruin my plan of discovering Moero and afterwards following the watershed, so as to be certain that this is either the watershed of the Congo or Kile. He was not well pleased when I preferred to go south and then westwards, as it looks like rejecting his counsel; but he said if I waited till his people came, then we should be able to speak with more certainty.
On inquiring if any large mountains exist in this country, I was told that Moufipa, or Fipa, opposite the lower end of the Lake, is largest--one can see Tanganyika from it. It probably gives rise to the Nkalambwe River and the Luaze.
There is nothing interesting in a heathen town. All are busy in preparing food or clothing, mats or baskets, whilst the women are cleaning or grinding their corn, which involves much hard labour. They first dry this in the sun, then put it into a mortar, and afterwards with a flat basket clean off the husks and the dust, and grind it between two stones, the next thing is to bring wood and water to cook it. The chief here was aroused the other day, and threatened to burn his own house and all his property because the people stole from it, but he did not proceed so far: it was probably a way of letting the Arab dependants know that he was aroused.
Some of the people who went to fight attacked a large village, and killed several men; but in shooting in a bushy place they killed one of their own party and wounded another.
On inquiring of an Arab who had sailed on Tanganyika which way the water flowed, he replied to the south!
The wagtails build in the thatch of the huts; they are busy, and men and other animals are active in the same way.
I am rather perplexed how to proceed. Some Arabs seem determined to go westwards as soon as they can make it up with Nsama, whilst others distrust him. One man will send his people to pick up what ivory they can, but he himself will retire to the Usango country. Nsama is expected to-day or to-morrow. It would be such a saving of time and fatigue for us to go due west rather than south, and then west, but I feel great hesitation as to setting out on the circuitous route.