XIX.] NATIVES AND TKADERS. 255 



The natives of villages at which we had camped since leav- July, 

 ing the Luama had been following us, with the hope of having i^"^*- 

 an opportunity of attacking us in return for the injuries they 

 had experienced at the hands of the caravan. In order to turn 

 the tables, and bring matters to a head, two chiefs had ordered 

 something to be stolen from the Arabs, knowing that they 

 would not hesitate to demand its restoration, and that a palaver 

 would then take place. 



As anticipated, the Arabs sent some messages respecting the 

 theft, whereupon the chiefs came to the camp, and, confident in 

 the numbers of natives lurking in ambush in the neighboring 

 woods, refused to restore the stolen property — a small bark 

 box full of beads — unless payment were made for every thing 

 that had been stolen and destroyed in their villages. Muinyi 

 Hassan i refused to accede to this, and demanded that the box 

 should be returned unconditionally. The chiefs replied that if 

 Muinyi Hassani and his people wanted it, they had better try 

 to get it back by force. Then, rising to go away, they were 

 treacherously shot down by some armed Wanyamwezi. 



I told Muinyi Hassani I should defend myself if attacked; 

 but, since he was so entirely in the wrong, I would not allow a 

 single man to put his foot outside my camp to assist in any ag- 

 gression against the natives. 



By this time many surrounding villages were in flames, and 

 the pagazi were returning from the work of destruction, driv- 

 ing herds of goats and sheep before them, and bringing in un- 

 fortunate women and children as captives ; for the natives, not- 

 withstanding their over\Yhelming numbers, would not face the 

 Arabs' muskets. 



In the afternoon, however, they began to assemble in great- 

 er numbers, and I tried to persuade Muinyi Hassani to make 

 peace ; but the attempt only ended in another row. During the 

 day, Kamwassa, son of Manyara, a chief who was friendly with 

 the Arabs, came into our camp, and I endeavored to enlist 

 his influence in inducing the natives to listen to overtures of 

 peace. Still, nothing could then be done to attain so desirable 

 a result. 



Many alarms were raised in the night, and some guns were 

 flred, but no fighting took place; and in the morning, when 



