CHAPTER CLXVI.
AFRICA—Continued.
UVINZA AND UHHA.
UVINZA, ITS LOCATION — MODE OF SALUTATION — GREAT MUTWARE OF KIMENYI — HIS EXTORTION — THE CARAVAN STOPPED — LONG PARLEY WITH CHIEF MIONVU — MIONVU’S SPEECH — STANLEY’S REPLY — MIONVU’S DEMAND FOR TRIBUTE — THE CHIEF INFLEXIBLE — STANLEY ENRAGED, BUT POWERLESS — CONSULTATION WITH HIS MEN — THEIR COUNSEL OF PEACE ADOPTED — ENORMOUS BONGA PAID — STANLEY’S STORES SADLY REDUCED — BOLD PLAN TO ESCAPE THE ROBBERS — ITS SUCCESS — LIVINGSTONE FOUND.
On the north of Unyanyembe is Uvinza, a rugged and somewhat mountainous country. Its numerous ravines and ridges, while imparting picturesqueness to the views, do not however contribute to its productiveness. It is but poorly watered, the banks of Malagarazi River being almost the only portion of great fertility. It has many salt pans, from which the people manufacture their salt. Crossing the Malagarazi, new customs and peculiarities greet the traveller. The method of salutation is singular and tiresome. As persons approach, they stretch out both hands to each other, uttering the words “Wake, wake!” They then seize each other by the elbows, and rubbing each other’s arms, say rapidly, “Wake, wake, waky, waky!” and finally terminate the tiresome formula with grunts of “Huh, huh!” as token of satisfaction. They dress in cloth when able to purchase it of the caravans; but if poor, they use “goat-skins, suspended by a knot fastened over the shoulder and falling over one side of their bodies.”
After many perils and delays Stanley entered the Uhha country. The boundary between Uvinza and Uhha, is a narrow, dry ditch. Numerous small villages could be seen, without the usual defence of a stockade, indicating that the people were living in quiet and without fear of marauders. Halting at Kawanga he soon learned from the chief that he was “the great Mutware of Kimenyi under the king, and therefore the tribute-gatherer for his Kiha majesty.” As an illustration of the African character and the difficulties of travelling in the interior, we give the narrative in Stanley’s own words:—
“He declared he was the only one in Kimenyi, an eastern division of Uhha, who could demand tribute, and that it would be very satisfactory to him and a saving of trouble to ourselves if we settled his claim of twelve doti of good cloth at once. We did not think it the best way of proceeding, however, knowing as we did the character of the native African; so we at once proceeded to diminish the demand, but after six hours’ hot argument the mutware only reduced it by two. This claim was then settled upon the understanding that we should be allowed to travel through Uhha, as far as Rusugi River, without being further mulcted.
“Leaving Kawanga early in the morning and continuing our march over the boundless plain we were marching westward, joyfully congratulating ourselves that within five days we should see that which I had come far from civilization and through so many difficulties to see, and were about passing a cluster of villages with all the confidence which men possess against whom no one has further claim or word to say, when I noticed two men darting from a group of natives, who were watching us, and running toward the head of the expedition, with the object, evidently, of preventing further progress.
“The caravan stopped, and I walked forward to ascertain the cause from the two natives. I was greeted politely by the two Wahha with the usual yambos, and was then asked, ‘Why does the white man pass by the village of the King of Uhha without salutation and a gift? Does not the white man know that there lives a king in Uhha to whom the Wangwana and Arabs pay something for the right of passage?’
“‘Why, we paid last night to the chief of Kawanga, who informed us he was the man deputed by the King of Wahha to collect the toll.’
“‘How much did you pay?’
“‘Ten doti of good cloth.’
“‘Are you sure?’
“‘Quite sure. If you ask him he will tell you so.’
“‘Well!’ said one of the Wahha, a fine, handsome, intelligent-looking youth, ‘it is our duty to the king to halt you here until we find out the truth of this. Will you walk to our village and rest yourselves, under the shade of the trees until we can send messengers to Kawanga?’
“‘No, the sun is but an hour high, and we have far to travel; but in order to show you we do not seek to pass through your country without doing that which is right, we will rest where we now stand, and we will send with your messenger two of our soldiers, who will show you the man to whom we paid the cloth.’
“The messenger departed; but in the meantime the handsome youth, who turned out to be a nephew of the king, whispered some order to a lad, who immediately hastened away, with the speed of an antelope, to the cluster of villages we had just passed. The result of this errand, as we soon saw, was the approach of a body of warriors, about fifty in number, headed by a tall, fine-looking man, who was dressed in a crimson robe, called joho, two ends of which were tied in a knot over the left shoulder; a new piece of American sheeting was folded like a turban around his head, and a large, curved piece of polished ivory was suspended to his neck. He and all his people were armed with spears and bows and arrows, and their advance was marked with a deliberation that showed they felt perfect confidence in any issue that might transpire.
“The gorgeously-dressed chief was a remarkable man in appearance. His face was oval in form, with high cheek-bones, eyes deeply sunk, a prominent and bold forehead and a well-cut mouth; he was tall in figure and perfectly symmetrical.
“When near to us he hailed me with the words ‘Yambo, bana?’ (How do you do, master?) in quite a cordial tone.
“I replied cordially also, ‘Yambo, mutware?’ (How do you do, chief?)
“We, myself and men, interchanged yambos with his warriors, and there was nothing to indicate that the meeting was of a hostile character.
“The chief seated himself, his haunches resting on his heels, and laying down his bow and arrows by his side, his men did likewise. I seated myself on a bale, and each of my men sat down on their loads, forming quite a semi-circle. The Wahha slightly outnumbered my party, but while they were armed with only bows and arrows, spears and knob-sticks, we were armed with rifles, muskets, revolvers, pistols, and hatchets.
“All were seated, and deep silence was maintained by the assembly. Then the chief spoke: ‘I am Mionvu, the great Mutware of Kimenyi and am next to the king, who lives yonder,’ pointing to a large village near some naked hills, about ten miles to the north. ‘I have come to talk with the white man. It has always been the custom of the Wangwana and the Arabs to make a present to the king when they pass through his country. Does not the white man mean to pay the king’s dues? Why does the white man halt in the road? Why will he not enter the village of Lukomo, where there are food and shade, where we can discuss this thing quietly? Does the white man mean to fight? I know well he is stronger than we are. His men have guns, and the Wahha have but bows and arrows and spears; but Uhha is large and our villages are many. Let him look about him everywhere: all is Uhha, and our country extends much farther than he can see or walk in a day. The King of Uhha is strong, yet he wishes friendship only with the white man. Will the white man have war or peace?’ A deep murmur of assent followed this speech of Mionvu from his people and disapprobation, blended with uneasiness, from my men.”
Stanley replied as follows:—
“‘Mionvu, the great Mutware, asks me if I have come for war. When did Mionvu ever hear of white men warring against black men? Mionvu must understand that white men are very different from the black. White men do not leave their country to fight the black people, neither do they come here to buy ivory or slaves. They come to make friends with the black people; they come to search for rivers and lakes and mountains; they come to discover what countries, what peoples, what rivers, what lakes, what forests, what plains, what mountains and hills are in your country, that when they go back they may tell the white kings and men and children. The white people are different from the Arabs and Wangwana, the white people know everything and are very strong; when they fight the Arabs and Wangwana run away. We have great guns which thunder, and when they shoot the earth trembles; we have guns which carry bullets further than you can see. Even with these little things (pointing to my revolvers) I could kill ten men quicker than you could count. I could kill Mionvu now, yet I talk to him as a friend. I wish to be a friend to Mionvu and to all black people. Will Mionvu say what I can do for him?’
“As these words were translated to him, imperfectly I suppose but still intelligibly, the faces of the Wahha showed how well they appreciated them. Once or twice I thought I detected something like fear, but my assertions that I desired peace and friendship with them soon obliterated all such feelings.”
Mionvu replied,—
“‘The white man tells me he is friendly: why does he not come to our village? Why does he stop on the road? The sun is hot. Mionvu will not speak here any more. If the white man is a friend he will come to the village.’
“‘We must stop now. It is noon. You have broken our march. We will go and camp in your village,’ I said, at the same time rising, and pointing to the men to take up their loads.
“We were compelled to camp, there was no help for it; the messengers had not returned from Kawanga. Having arrived at his village, Mionvu cast himself at full length under the scanty shade afforded by a few trees without the boma. About 2 P. M. the messengers returned, saying it was true the chief of Kawanga had taken ten cloths, not however for the King of Uhha, but for himself.
“Mionvu, who, evidently, was keen-witted and knew perfectly what he was about, now roused himself and began to make miniature fagots of thin canes, ten to each fagot, and shortly he presented ten of these small bundles, which together contained one hundred, to me, saying, ‘Each stick represents a cloth.’ The amount of the bonga required by the King of Uhha was one hundred cloths,—nearly two bales.
“Recovering from our astonishment, which was almost indescribable, we offered ten. ‘Ten to the King of Uhha! Impossible. You do not stir from Lukomo until you pay one hundred,’ exclaimed Mionvu in a significant manner.
“I returned no answer, but went to my hut, which Mionvu had cleared for my use, and Bombay, Asmani, Mabruski, and Chowpereh were invited to come to me for consultation. Upon my asking them if we could not fight our way through Uhha, they became terror-stricken, and Bombay, in imploring accents, asked me to think well what I was about to do, because it was useless to enter on a war with the Wahha. Said he, ‘Uhha is a plain country; we cannot hide anywhere. Every village will rise all about us; and how can forty-five men fight thousands of people? Think of it, my dear master, and do not throw your life away for a few rags of cloth.’
“‘Well, but, Bombay, this is robbery. Shall we give the fellow everything he asks? He might as well ask me for all the cloth and all my guns without letting him see that we can fight.’
“‘No, no, dear master; don’t think of it for a moment. Pay Mionvu what he asks and let us go away from here. This is the last place we shall have to pay, and in four days we shall be in Ujiji.’
“‘Did Mionvu tell you that this is the last place we should have to pay?’
“‘He did, indeed.’”
Each of the others whom Stanley had chosen as counsellors advised him to yield to the extortion of Mionvu and pay rather than provoke a fight.
“‘Pay, bana,’ said Chowpereh. ‘It is better to get along quietly in this country. If we were strong enough they would pay us.’
“‘Well, then, Bombay and Asmani, go to Mionvu, and offer him twenty; if he will not take twenty, give him thirty; if he refuses thirty, give him forty; then go up to eighty, slowly; make plenty of talk; not one doti more. I swear to you, I will shoot Mionvu if he demands more than eighty. Go, and remember to be wise.’
“I will cut the matter short. At 9 P. M. sixty-four doti were handed over to Mionvu for the King of Uhha, six doti for himself, and five doti for his sub,—altogether seventy-five doti, a bale and a quarter.
“No sooner had we paid than they began to fight amongst themselves over the booty. At dawn we were on the road, very silent and sad.”
After a four hours’ march, crossing the Kanengi River, they entered the boma of Kahirigi, and were told that the brother of the King of Uhha lived there. This roused the apprehension that another exaction of bonga would be made, despite Mionvu’s assertion that his was the last. The king’s brother demanded thirty doti, or half a bale. Stanley was in a rage, ready and willing to fight and die rather than be “halted by a set of miserable, naked robbers.”
He was also informed that there were five more chiefs about two hours’ distance apart from each other. This intelligence led him to adopt a plan of evading this extortion. Accordingly, arrangements were secretly made for leaving the usual route and taking to the jungle; and though the plan came near being defeated several times, yet at length success crowned the adventurous undertaking, and Stanley “had passed the boundary of wicked Uhha and entered Ukaranga,—an event that was hailed with extravagant shouts of joy.”
He saw inevitable ruin before him if his cloth was to be filched from him at this rate by other chiefs. Beggary or bravery was the alternative. He chose the latter. In a few days afterward he found Livingstone at Ujiji.