MUZUNGU MBAYA'S IRREVERENCE. 



245 



sugar; but again he hears nothing of tobacco; still he 

 takes the trouble to ask 

 " Where, 0 my brother ?" 



" There," exclaims Gul Mohammed, pointing to the 

 skies. 



This is a " chokepear" to Muzungu Mbaya. The dis- 

 tance is great, and he can scarcely believe that his 

 interlocutor has visited the firmament to see the provi- 

 sion ; he therefore ventures upon the query, 



u And hast thou been there, 0 my brother ?" 



" Astaghfar ullah (I beg pardon of Allah)! " ejaculates 

 Gul Mohammed, half angry, half amused. u What a 

 mshenzi (pagan) this is! No, my brother, I have not ex- 

 actly been there, but my Mulungu (Allah) told my Apos- 

 tle*, who told his descendants, who told my father and 

 mother, who told me, that when we die we shall go to 

 a Shamba (a plantation), where " 



" Oof !" grunts Muzungu Mbaya, " it is good of you to 

 tell us all this Upumbafu (nonsense) which your mother 

 told you. So there are plantations in the skies ? " 



" Assuredly," replies Gul Mohammed, who expounds 

 at length the Moslem idea of paradise to the African's 

 running commentary of " Nenda we!" (be off!), Mama-e! 

 (0 my mother!) and " Tumbanina," which may not be 

 translated. 



Muzungu Mbaya, who for the last minute has been 

 immersed in thought, now suddenly raises his head ; 

 and, with somewhat of a goguenard air, inquires : 



" Well then, my brother, thou knowest all things ! 



* Those who translate Rasul, meaning, literally, " one sent," by prophet 

 instead of apostle, introduce a notable fallacy into the very formula of 

 Moslem faith. Mohammed never pretended to prophecy in our sense of 

 foretelling future events. 



b 3 



