SULTAN SEDENGA 



67 



contemptuously holding up now the fez, and now the stuff; and 

 so on. 



Later I saw what a mistake had been made in offering to 

 a man of the Sultan's position goods worth no more than a 

 few shillings, but in my ignorance I controlled my amusement 

 with difficulty. Eeflecting, however, that I should ill serve 

 Herr Brausche if I widened the breach between him and his 

 neighbour, I set to work to try and mollify his irate Sultan- 

 ship, with speedy results. I explained to him with a solemn 

 air that the Wasangu, or Europeans, were ever openhanded 

 with their friends, but how was I to know that he, Sedenga, 

 was my friend, when he had brought me no sucli gift as was 

 everywhere customary — not an ox, not a goat, not even a 

 little fowl ? This speech of mine made a deep impression, and 

 it was now Sedenga's turn to look crestfallen, as I rubbed my 

 palms together in an effective pantomime, meaning that I had 

 been welcomed with absolutely empty hands. And the Sultan 

 presently observed that he would leave me now and return 

 the next day ; so for the present the shauri was over. 



Herr Brausche, who had been for months at daggers drawn 

 with Sedenga — a most unfortunate position for him, as the 

 Sultan had forbidden any of his men to do him the slightest 

 service — now begged me to try and bring about a reconcilia- 

 tion, which, of course, I was very ready to do ; and when 

 Sedenga returned the next morning, bringing with him two 

 fine oxen, I made it my first care to try and get him to make 

 it up with Herr Brausche. 



It appeared that the Sultan's quarrel was not with Herr 

 Brausche, but with the German East African Company, who 

 had promised him a big present, but never sent it. Herr 

 Brausche admitted the truth of this, and brought out some 

 goods and money at once, so that everything was soon ami- 

 cably settled between the two. But Sedenga was not satisfied 



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