A White King in East Africa: The Remarkable Adventures of John Boyes, Trader and Soldier of Fortune, Who Became King of the Savage Wa-KikuyuBoyes, John
History
A White King in East Africa: The Remarkable Adventures of John Boyes, Trader and Soldier of Fortune, Who Became King of the Savage Wa-Kikuyu
Boyes, John
Africa, East; Kikuyu (African people)
another wounded by the arrows. Getting back to the camp, we found that
it was surrounded by another howling mob of niggers, and we had great
difficulty in fighting our way through and getting in. Once safely in
the camp, we turned and poured a steady fire into the mass. This
fusillade eventually drove them off, though several very ugly rushes
were made before they finally gave up the attempt to overpower us.
From the height on which the camp was pitched we could see dozens of
villages all round us, and it was very evident that the country was very
thickly populated; but feeling absolutely safe as long as we stuck
together, we were not alarmed at the hostile demonstrations on the part
of the natives, who still threatened us from a safe distance, so we
slept there that night, nothing happening to disturb our rest, but of
course a strict guard was kept.
The next morning the natives again gathered round us; but it was a very
half-hearted attack that they made this time, however, as they chiefly
contented themselves with shouting insulting remarks at us from a
distance, only now and then making a combined rush, which we easily beat
off. Not that my men did very much damage, as the native has no idea of
shooting straight, and it is very difficult to make them understand the
sights of a rifle. My men were all right up to a hundred yards, as I had
taught them always to aim low, whereas the native is apt to fire high;
while the ordinary native who has had no training with a gun is
absolutely useless, generally turning his head the other way when he
pulls the trigger.
The natives kept up their hostile attitude for some days, occasionally
creeping up and dropping arrows into the camp, while we waited,
expecting that they would either make friends or put forth a big effort
to wipe us out altogether. Our great difficulty was that food was
beginning to run short, our supply having been only a small one to start
with; so feeling that it was useless to hope to make friends with these
people, and that therefore nothing was to be gained by staying there, I
decided to trek back to Wagombi’s. Breaking camp, we started back, and
although the natives shouted at us from a safe distance, as usual, they
made no attempt to cut us off, so we got safely back to our old camp.
When Wagombi had heard my account of what had happened, he said that, if
I liked, he would muster his people and, as he expressively put it, “go
and clear up the whole country.” I thanked him, but declined his kind
offer, as I felt that it was taking on too big a job, and I was also
anxious to get back to my old quarters at Karuri’s, from which I had now
been away about six months. During the time I had been away I had heard
no definite news of what was going on there, but it was reported that we
were all killed, and that long ago they had given up all hope of seeing
us again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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