BAKHSHISH. 



151 



a sour frown and abundant surliness by way of 

 dignity, dressed like an Arab, and raised above 

 his fellows by El Islam, sent a presumptuous 

 message requesting us to place in his hands 

 what we intended for his father. This chief was 

 then journeying to Zanzibar with fear and trem- 

 bling : he had tried to establish at his village, 

 Kir ore, a Romulian asylum for fugitive slaves, 

 and having partially succeeded in enticing away 

 many ruffians, he dreaded the consequences. The 

 Baloch Jemadar strongly urged us privily to 

 cause his detention in the Island, a precaution 

 somewhat too Oriental for our taste ; he refused, 

 however, the Muigni's request in his own tone. 

 Following princely example, the dancing Diwans 

 claimed a fee for permitting us to reside. As 

 they worded it El Ada — the habit — basing it upon 

 an ancient present from Lieut. -Colonel Hamer- 

 ton, and as they were in palpable, manifest pro- 

 cess of establishing a local custom, which in 

 Africa becomes law^ to the latest posterity, we 

 flatly objected, showed our letters, and in the 

 angriest of moods, threatened reference to Head 

 Quarters. Briefly, all began to angle for bakh- 

 shish, but I cannot remember any one catching it : 

 they revenged themselves by promising to show 

 us a minaret, and by showing only an old tomb — 



