256 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



July, crowds of people bad gathered round the camp, shouting and 

 1874. yelling, Kamwassa urged them to listen to terms. 



I believe the Arabs would have continued fighting had I not 

 been there ; but they said, " We have an Englishman in the 

 camp ; he will give us a bad name to his consul at Zanzibar ;" 

 and as they all entertain a great respect for our consul — look- 

 ing upon him as superior to every one but their own sultan, 

 with whom they deem him almost on an equality — my pres- 

 ence had some weight in checking further outrage and hostil- 

 ities. 



The palaver was opened by deputies from the natives and 

 traders going to the opposite banks of a small stream near the 

 camp, and then meeting in the middle, and washing each other's 

 faces. Then the natives came over to our side of the stream, 

 and some of the chiefs " made brothers " with people selected 

 from among the caravan. The brotherhood business having 

 been completed, some pen-and-ink marks were made on a piece 

 of paper, which, together with a charge of powder, was put into 

 a kettleful of water. All hands then drank of the decoction, 

 the natives being told that it was a very great medicine. 



Peace having been concluded, my next efforts were directed 

 toward obtaining the release of the prisoners. To this there 

 was a very strong opposition ; but I insisted on it, and in the 

 end it was arranged that ransom should be paid for them. Oth- 

 erwise the natives might have thought we were afraid of them, 

 and would have attacked ns farther on the road. 



On leaving here, we had a long and tiring march through 

 many villages, and the caravan was much hampered by the 

 goats received as ransom for the unfortunate captives constantly 

 running oft' into the jungle. When we camped, I found some 

 slaves captured at Karungu still in the caravan, upon M'liieh I 

 demanded that they should be set at liberty. This led to a 

 stormy discussion with Muinyi Ilassani, who was not so anxious 

 about the presence of my men, now we had passed through 

 the worst of Manyuuma ; but I threatened him with all the 

 terrors of the sultan and the English consul, and finally said I 

 should set the captives free by force, if necessary. I told him 

 plainly that I did not and could not interfere with the buying 

 and selling of slaves by him and his friends, or with their seiz- 



