第64章

TheAlbertN’yanzalaydistantabouttwentymilesonthewest，inthedeepbasinwhichcharacterizesthisextraordinarysheetofwater。

Immensevolumesofcloudroseintheearlymorningfromthevalleywhichmarkedthecourseofthelake，astheevaporationfromthegreatsurfaceofwatercondensedintomist，whenitrosetothecooleratmosphereoftheplateau1，500feetabovethelevel。

TheproposaloffarmingdidnotappeartopleaseKabbaRega。Itwasexplainedthatthemenwerenotaccustomedtolabourinthefields，asagriculturalworkwasperformedbythewomen，allofwhomwerenowabsentandengagedinpreparingtheirownland。

AlthoughMasindiwasalargetown，Iwasstruckbytheabsenceoffemales。TheonlywomenthatIsawweretwo，oneofwhomwastheprettywifeofUmbogothedragoman。Ithasalreadybeenexplained，thattheabsenceofwomengenerallydenoteshostility，butastherainyseasonnecessitatedhardwork，Iacceptedtheexplanation。

ThecornforthesupplyofMasindiwasbroughtfromadistanceoftwodays’journey，andnumbersofpeopleweredailyemployedingoingtoandfroforthegeneralprovisionsofthestation。

Theslave-huntersbelongingtoSuleiman，whowerenowprisonersunderaguard，numberedtwenty-fivemen：Iemployedthesepeopledailytoclearawaythehighgrass，whichwaspiledandburnt，theasheswerethenspread，andthegroundwashoedupandthoroughlypreparedbythetroops。

ItwasinvainthatIurgeduponKabbaRegaandhischiefsthenecessityofcultivationforthesupplyofcornrequisiteforthetroops。Everydaytheypromisedtoclearawaythegrass，providedthesoldierswouldthendigandpreparetheground。ThisIagreedtodo，butthenativesshowednointentionofworking。

IbegantosuspectthatKabbaRegahadanobjectiontoalargeopenclearing。Thetacticsofallnativesareconcealment；ifamanisfrightened，hehidesinthegrass；incaseofhostilities，thehighgrassisafortresstothenegro。Itbecameevidentthatweweretoremainsurroundedbythisdenseherbage，whichnotonlyobstructedtheview，butrenderedthestationdampanddreary。

IexplainedtothechiefsthefollyofKabbaRegainthusneglectingsuchmagnificentsoil，which，withalittlelabour，wouldproduceallthatwecouldrequire，andwouldsavebothhimandhispeoplethetroubleoffeedingus。AtthesametimeIsetallhandsofmyownpeopletoclearalargespaceandtomakegardens。

Unyorohadalwaysbeenacountryofcowardiceandsuspicion，andIcouldplainlyseethatwewerenarrowlywatched。KabbaRegausuallysatinhispublicdivanfromabouttwop。m。till4daily，totransactpublicbusiness。Thislargecircularbuildingwasextremelyneat，andthegroundwascarefullystrewedwiththelongfringesofthepapyrusrush，afterthefashionofourancestorsinEngland，who，beforetheintroductionofcarpets，strewedthefloorwithrushes。

Theyoungkinginformedmethat，ashewishedtobeinconstantcommunicationwithmepersonally，heshouldbuildanewdivanwithinafewyardsofmyresidence，sothatwecouldconverseuponalloccasionswithoutbeingwatchedbyhispeople。

Thiswasmerelyanexcuseforerectingabuildingwithinfiftyyardsofmyhouse，fromwhichhisguardscouldwatchallthathappened，andreporteverythingtotheirmaster。

Thenewbuildingwasconstructedwithwonderfulquickness，andprettilywalledwithcanesinsidetoresemblebasket-work。

KabbaRegacametohisnewdivan，attendedbyanumberofhisguards，orbonosoora，armedwithguns。Togivehimconfidence，Iwenttoseehimunattended，exceptbyLieutenantBakerandmyever-faithfulattendant，Monsoor，whodidnotatallapproveofmygoingunarmed。

Theconversationquicklyturneduponguns。KabbaRegawasdelightedwiththemechanismofMonsoor’ssniderrifle，whichheatonceunderstoodandexplainedtohisbody-guard。Heappearedtohavequitelosthisshyness；

andhebeggedmetoconsiderhimsimplyinthelightofmyownson，andtogivehimallthemerchand

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