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Chowpereh was dragging on the rope with all his might, but to no use, for the donkey sank, and we saw no more of him. The depth of the river at this place was about fifteen feet.
Ulimengo, the bold guide who had exulted in his weapons and in our numbers, and was so sanguine of victory, had performed the eleven hours' march in six hours; sturdy Chowpereh, whom I regarded as the faithfullest of my people, had arrived only half an hour later than Ulimengo; and frisky Khamisi, the dandy the orator the rampant demagogue yes he had come third; and Speke's "Faithfuls" had proved as cowardly as any poor "nigger" of them all.
Having a long march before us, I could wait no longer, but went to meet his party myself. About a quarter of mile from the ford I met the van of the laggards stout burly Chowpereh and, O cartmakers, listen! he carried the cart on his head wheels, shafts, body, axle, and all complete; he having found that carrying it was much easier than drawing it.
"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!"
While on this subject, I may as well give here a sketch of each of the principal men whose names must often appear in the following chapters. According to rank, they consist of Bombay, Mabruki Burton, Asmani the guide, Chowpereh, Ulimengo, Khamisi, Ambari, Jumah, Ferajji the cook, Maganga the Mnyamwezi, Selim the Arab boy, and youthful Kalulu a gunbearer.
I therefore despatched Chowpereh, a Mgwana soldier, with the following note to him: "You will, upon receipt of this order pitch the cart into the nearest ravine, gully, or river, as well as all the extra pack saddles; and come at once, for God's sake, for we must not starve here!" One, two, three, and four hours were passed by me in the utmost impatience, waiting, but in vain, for Shaw.
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.
Recovering from our astonishment, which was almost indescribable, we offered TEN. "Ten! to the King of Uhha! Impossible. You do not stir from Lukomo until you pay us one hundred!" exclaimed Mionvu, in a significant manner. I returned no answer, but went to my hut, which Mionvu had cleared for my use, and Bombay, Asmani, Mabruki, and Chowpereh were invited to come to me for consultation.
We then tied together all the strong rope in our possession, and made a line 180 feet long, with one end of which tied round his body, Chowpereh was sent across to lash it to a tree. He was carried far down the stream; but being an excellent swimmer, he succeeded in his attempt.
Bombay, as ever comical, never so much at home as when in the dance of the Mrima, has my water-bucket on his head; Chowpereh the sturdy, the nimble, sure-footed Chowpereh has an axe in his hand, and wears a goatskin on his head; Baraka has my bearskin, and handles a spear; Mabruki, the "Bull-headed," has entered into the spirit of the thing, and steps up and down like a solemn elephant; Ulimengo has a gun, and is a fierce Drawcansir, and you would imagine he was about to do battle to a hundred thousand, so ferocious is he in appearance; Khamisi and Kamna are before the drummers, back to back, kicking up ambitiously at the stars; Asmani, the embodiment of giant strength, a towering Titan, has also a gun, with which he is dealing blows in the air, as if he were Thor, slaying myriads with his hammer.
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