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Updated: June 3, 2025
As I was beginning to feel that Asmani had passed his last moment on earth, as he was lifting his gun to his shoulder, a form came up from behind him, and swept his gun aside with an impatient, nervous movement, and I heard Mabruki Burton say in horror-struck accents: "Man, how dare you point your gun, at the master?"
"He did, indeed." "What do you say, Asmani ? Shall we fight or pay?" Asmani's face wore the usual smile, but he replied, "I am afraid we must pay. This is positively the last time." "And you, Chowpereh?" "Pay, bana; it is better to get along quietly in this country. If we were strong enough they would pay us. Ah, if we had only two hundred guns, how these Wahha would run!"
He is entirely out of his element as valet, he might as well be clerk. As a watchman he is invaluable, as a second captain or fundi, whose duty it is to bring up stragglers, he is superexcellent. He is ugly and vain, but he is no coward. Asmani the guide is a large fellow, standing over six feet, with the neck and shoulders of a Hercules.
"What do you say, Mabruki?" "Ah, master, dear master; it is very hard, and these people are great robbers. I would like to chop their heads off, all; so I would. But you had better pay. This is the last time; and what are one hundred cloths to you?" "Well, then, Bombay and Asmani, go to Mionvu, and offer him twenty. If he will not take twenty, give him thirty.
But here my patience was exhausted, and I declared that they should have to take them by force, for I would never consent to be robbed and despoiled after any such fashion. Until 11 P.M., Bombay and Asmani were negotiating about this extra demand, arguing, quarreling, threatening, until Bombay declared they would talk him mad if it lasted much longer.
We had awakened Ujiji to the knowledge that a caravan was coming, and the people were witnessed rushing up in hundreds to meet us. The mere sight of the flags informed every one immediately that we were a caravan, but the American flag borne aloft by gigantic Asmani, whose face was one vast smile on this day, rather staggered them at first.
Knowing this much, I felt a certain calm. It was far better to know the worst at once. Five more chiefs with their demands would assuredly ruin us. In view of which, what is to be done? How am I to reach Livingstone, without being beggared? Dismissing the men, I called Bombay, and told him to assist Asmani in settling the honga " as cheaply as possible."
John William Shaw, London, England. Selim Heshmy, Arab. Seedy Mbarak Mombay, Zanzibar. Mabruki Spoke, ditto. Ulimengo, ditto Ambari, ditto. Uledi, ditto. Asmani, ditto. Sarmean, ditto. Kamna, ditto. Zaidi, ditto. Khamisi, ditto. Chowpereh, Bagamoyo. Kingaru, ditto. Belali, ditto. Ferous, Unyanyembe. Rojab, Bagamoyo. Mabruk Unyanyembe, Unyanyembe. Mtamani, ditto. Chanda, Maroro. Sadala, Zanzibar.
I halted, threw the barrel of my gun into the hollow of the left hand, and then, taking a deliberate aim at them, threatened to blow their heads off if they did not come forward to talk to me. These two men were, gigantic Asmani and his sworn companion Mabruki, the guides of Sheikh bin Nasib.
At the same time the main body of their men, under Asmani and Bombay, commenced their journey, which was to be performed on foot, along the shores of the lake. It had been arranged that the canoes should meet them at the mouth of every river, to transport them across from bank to bank.
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