Travels in Eastern Africa, Volume 2

Escape of British Consul and Party from the Attack of the Natives-Supplies Cut Off-Governor-General Protects the Consul-Insolence of the Portuguese Guard-The Crew of the Cutter "Herald" Arrive-The Consul's Position Improved-Insolence of the Portuguese Coxswain Exposed-The Governor-General furnishes the Consul with a Guard-The Slave-dealers Disband the Mozambique Police, and the Consul is without a Guard-Fever Attacks the Inmates of the Consul's House-The Portuguese Doctors Refuse to Render any Assistance-Mr. Duncan Dies-Hurricane at Mozambique.

Having learned that there was a house to let at Messuril, I called upon the owner of it in the city of Mozambique, and as he asked me a yearly rent of seventy-five pounds sterling, and assured me "that it was just the residence suitable for a British consul," I determined to go and see what it was like; and according to arrangement with the owner of it, the next afternoon I went to Messuril, accompanied by Mrs. M'Leod and her maid. On approaching the house, we saw at once that sending us to look at it was intended as an insult, for it was nothing more than a large hut with the walls whitewashed, and indeed was but little better than the stable of the house I was then living in. However, as we had seen the outside, we determined to look at the inside, and entered it for that purpose, when we found there was not an apartment in it that would contain my bed. Before entering the house, I had made a remark on the loneliness of the situation, and what a distance it was from the sea; and while examining the house, and smiling at the impertinence of those who had played off such a practical joke on us, I observed that a number of people were collecting round the carriage. I hurried my wife and her maid into the carriage, and made the best of my way to the palace, as the native war-drums were sounding, and a number of the natives, armed with assegais and muskets, were collecting round us, yelling and shouting. As soon as I got in sight of the guard at the palace of Messuril, the natives stopped and made off to the road by which we usually went to Messuril. Here I was met by one of the native Portuguese soldiers, who desired me to save my party by taking the lower road nearer the sea. I therefore pushed on for my house by that road, and when the natives observed that we had escaped, they began yelling and shouting at their own discomfiture.