670 THE WAR-CLOUD. 



bound him to think them pleasant gentlemen ; but they were a 

 fine, handsome body of men. Conspicuous among them was 

 "Sayd bin Salim, the governor of the colony, Sheikh bin Nasib, 

 his Highness of Zanzibar's consul at Karangwa ; then Karais 

 bin Abdullah, and young Amram bin Mussoud ; handsome and 

 courageous Soud, the son of Sayd bin Majid; then Thani bin 

 Abdullah ; next Mussoud bin Abdullah and his cousin, Abdullah 

 bin Mussoud; then old Suliman Dowa Sayd bin Sayf and the old 

 Hetman of Tabora — Sultan bin Ali." When all the formalities 

 of greeting and the congratulations and protestations and invita- 

 tions were over, these distinguished models of Arab etiquette 

 departed, carrying an engagement with Mr. Stanley for his 

 presence with them three days from date. 



The kindness of these wealthy visitors had paved the way, 

 intentionally or otherwise, for involving the Herald Expedition 

 in a way which threatened it with great disaster. When Mr. 

 Stanley repaired to Tabora, according to his engagement, he 

 found himself just in time to be present at a grave council of 

 war, in which he was invited to take a seat with Selim, his Arab 

 interpreter, by his side. 



The trouble was with a chief called Mirambo, who it seems 

 had for several years been in a state of chronic discontent with 

 the policies of the neighboring chiefs. Formerly a pagazi for 

 an Arab, he had now assumed regal power, with the usual knack 

 of unconscionable rascals who care not by what means they step 

 into authority. When the chief of Uyoweh died, this bold man, 

 who was at the head of a gang of robbers infesting the forests 

 of Wilyankuru, suddenly entered Uyoweh and constituted him- 

 self lord paramount by force, and by a few feats of enterprise 

 which he performed to the enrichment of those who recognized 

 his authority, soon established himself firmly in his position. 

 From this beginning he had carried destructive war over three 

 degrees of latitude, and at length conceiving a grievance against 

 Mkasiwa, chief of the Wanyamwezi, demanded of the Arabs 

 that they should sustain him against their ally. This they re- 

 fused to do, and Mirambo had in resentment resolved that no 

 Arab caravan should pass through his country to Ujiji; and not 

 satisfied with this menace of the foreigners, had now proclaimed 

 open war on them and the Wanyamwezi together. We will not 



