From the Cape to Cairo; the first traverse of Africa from south to north . s I gatheredthat any lightly grilled portion of my anatomy that might happen towander round their way would be, so to speak, a gone coon. The neighbouring chief, Tabara by name, apparently suffering from thattroublesome complaint known to the faculty as swelled head, amusedhimself for the next two days by sending in an intermittent fusillade ofinsolence ; it was not his business to come and see every white man whocame into the country, etc., etc., ad nauseam. As I had never sent forhim, being unaware even of the gentlem
From the Cape to Cairo; the first traverse of Africa from south to north . s I gatheredthat any lightly grilled portion of my anatomy that might happen towander round their way would be, so to speak, a gone coon. The neighbouring chief, Tabara by name, apparently suffering from thattroublesome complaint known to the faculty as swelled head, amusedhimself for the next two days by sending in an intermittent fusillade ofinsolence ; it was not his business to come and see every white man whocame into the country, etc., etc., ad nauseam. As I had never sent forhim, being unaware even of the gentlemans existence, and as I foundon inquiry that he was a chief independent of Kasagama, and owingallegiance to the official at Fort Gerry only, I concluded that my mubaka ^provided by Kasagama was the cause of the trouble, or that he imaginedI was Belgian. I therefore sent a message to him to the effect that I hadno doubt he was a most admirable individual, but strange to relate, tillthe arrival of his message I had been unaware of his existence; that my A sort of TORO TO MBOGA 213 object in coming to the country was to shoot elephant, and not to inter-view obscure niggers. The effect was electrical: the following morning heturned up with a numerous following, carrying an umbrella and a verydangerous camp-stool, and presented me with sundry goats, fowls, andother edibles. I explained to him the principles involved in the UnionJack and in the expression civU Britannicus sum (which, by the way,is a very poor introduction to a British Government), and he went awayquite cured, leaving his katikiro ^ with me, who did everything possible toshow sport, and to make me comfortable. I mention this incident for thesake of y medical friends, the complaint being a common one and noteasily amenable to treatment, and also to show the distinction that thenatives draw between us and our Belgian neighbours, for such I afterwardsascertained he had taken me to be. Moving still further west
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