chap, ix.] COUNTRY DISTURBED. 243 
pronounced, when a villain stepped forward, and 
placing the muzzle of his musket close to his left 
breast, he fired. The man dropped dead, thus mur¬ 
dered in cold blood. The natives rushed in crowds 
from the spot, naturally supposing that a genera] 
massacre would follow so' unprovoked an outrage. 
The body was dragged by the heels a few paces 
outside the camp, and the vultures were its sextons 
within a few minutes of the death. 
It was with difficulty that I could restrain my 
temper under such revolting circumstances. I felt 
that at an unlooked-for moment I might be compro¬ 
mised in some serious outbreak of the natives, caused 
by the brutal acts of the traders. Already it was 
declared unsafe to venture out shooting without ten or 
twelve armed men as escort. 
A mixture of cowardice and brutality, the traders' 
party became exceedingly timid, as a report was current 
that the inhabitants of Kayala intended to ally them¬ 
selves to those of Tarrangolle, and to attack the Turks 
in their camp. I accordingly strengthened my position 
by building a tower of palisades, that entirely com¬ 
manded all approaches to my zareeba. 
Latooka was already spoiled by the Turks: it was 
now difficult to procure flour and milk for beads, as 
the. traders' people, since the attack on Kayala, had 
commenced the system of purchasing all supplies with 
either goats, or beef, which having been stolen, was 
their cheapest medium of exchange. Although rich in 
beads and copper, I was actually poor, as I could not 
obtain supplies. Accordingly I allowanced my men 
two pounds of beads monthly, and they went to distant 
villages and purchased their own provisions indepen¬ 
dently of me. 
On the 11th June, at 7.20 a.m., there was a curious 
phenomenon ; the sky was perfectly clear, but we were 
startled by a noise like the sudden explosion of a mine, 
or the roar of heavy cannon, almost immediately 
repeated. It appeared to have originated among the 
R 2 
