_8th February, 1871._--The ten men refusing to go north are influenced
probably by Shereef, and my two ringleaders, who try this means to
compel me to take them.

_9th February, 1871._--The man who contrived the murder of James came
here, drawn by the pretence that he was needed to lead a party against
the villages, which he led to commit the outrage. His thirst for blood
is awful: he was bound, and word sent to bring the actual murderers
within three days, or he suffers death. He brought five goats, thinking
that would smooth the matter over.

_11th February, 1871._--Men struck work for higher wages: I consented to
give them six dollars a month if they behaved well; if ill I diminish
it, so we hope to start to-morrow. Another hunting quelled by Mohamad
and me.

The ten men sent are all slaves of the Banians, who are English
subjects, and they come with a lie in their mouth: they will not help
me, and swear that the Consul told them not to go forward, but to force
me back, and they spread the tale all over the country that a certain
letter has been sent to me with orders to return forthwith. They swore
so positively that I actually looked again at Dr. Kirk's letter to see
if his orders had been rightly understood by me. But for Mohamad
Bogharib and fear of pistol-shot they would gain their own and their
Banian masters' end to baffle me completely; they demand an advance of
one dollar, or six dollars a month, though this is double freeman's pay
at Zanzibar. Their two headmen, Shereef and Awathé, refused to come past
Ujiji, and are revelling on my goods there.