"There is much danger in going the way you wish," continued M'tesa, "as the people on some of the islands are hostile, and may attack you. If I should lose my boats and men it would be very serious to me and to you."
There was no denying the correctness of this proposition, and the Doctor waited for the king to proceed.
NATIVE OF UNYAMWEZI.
"But I am friendly with the King of Unyamwezi, at the other end of the N'yanza, and these strange people you see here are a delegation from him. They arrived here four days ago, and are now ready to go back to their country. They came by the N'yanza, and their boats will accompany those that I shall send to carry you and your friends and property."
It naturally occurred to Doctor Bronson that there could not be any great danger in going by the lake route, if this delegation from Unyamwezi had just traversed it. But he kept his thoughts to himself, and continued to do so while the king enlarged upon the perils of the journey.
It was very evident that M'tesa was bent on driving a sharp bargain. We must remember that he was a negro and in Africa, and therefore he was expected to make the most of his opportunities. If he had been a white man, and in America—a New York hackman, for instance, or the owner of a baggage-wagon on "moving-day"—he would have been a model of generosity, and offered the use of his boats for nothing.
During the absence of the party in the excursion to Ripon Falls he had a chance to think over the situation and make up his mind what he wanted. He had overcome his fear of the telephone, and from entertaining a superstitious dread of the "magic talker" he had developed a great desire for it.
In return for the use of his boats he wanted the telephone instruments, and desired them arranged so as to connect his audience-hall with his harem. Then he wanted a certain amount of cloth, brass wire, beads, and other African trinkets, but more than all else he wanted fire-arms and ammunition.