Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and StanleyKingston, William Henry Giles
History
Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Stanley
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Africa -- Description and travel; Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
One of his _pagazis_, Khamisi, under Shaw's command, having absconded,
Uledi and Ferajji found him, having fallen into the hands of some
plundering Washensi, who were about to kill him. A court of eight
soldiers and eight _pagazis_, having been convened, condemned him to be
flogged with the "great master's" donkey-whip. As Shaw ought to have
kept a better look out, he was ordered to give him one blow and the
_pagazis_ and soldiers the remainder. This being done, the man was
pardoned.
Moving on, the expedition passed Simbamwenni, the capital of Useguhha,
the fortifications of which are equal to any met with in Persia. The
area of the town is about half a square mile, while four towers of stone
guard each corner. There are four gates, one in each wall, which are
closed with solid square doors of African teak, and carved with
complicated devices.
It is ruled by the daughter of the infamous Kisalungo, notorious as a
robber and kidnapper, another Theodore on a small scale.
Before long Stanley was attacked with fever, which greatly prostrated
his strength, though he quickly recovered by taking strong dozes of
quinine.
The most painful event which occurred was the flight of Bunda Selim, who
had been punished for pilfering rations. The men sent after him were
seized and imprisoned by the Sultana of Simbamwenni, and, though
ultimately liberated by the interference of an Arab sheikh, nothing
could be found of the missing cook. Shaw also fell ill, and left the
task of urging on the floundering caravan through marshes and rivers to
his superior. Several of the others followed his example, and even
Bombay complained of pains and became unserviceable.
The report from Farquhar's caravan was most unsatisfactory, he, as far
as Stanley could make out, having lost all his donkeys. The unhappy
man, indeed, he found on overtaking him, was suffering from dropsy. He
had also given to the _pagazis_ and soldiers no small amount of the
contents of the bales committed to his charge, as payment for the
services he had demanded of them, and in purchasing expensive luxuries.
As he could not walk and was worse than useless, Stanley was obliged to
send the sick man, under the charge of Mabruki, thirty miles away to the
village of Mpwapwa, to the chief of which place he promised an ample
reward if he would take care of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account