all tlie story—what we thought of Suwarora, and the
reception we had met with in Usui. When this was
explained to him, I showed him that it was for the interest
of his own kingdom to keep a check on StLwarora,
whose exorbitant taxations prevented the Arabs from
coming to see him and bringing things from all parts of
the world. He made inquiries for the purpose of knowing
how we found our way all over the world; for on the
former expedition a letter had come to him for Musa,
who no sooner read it than he said I had called him and
he must leave, as I was bound for Ujiji.,
This of course led to a long story, describing the world,
the proportions of land and water, and the power of ships,
Our Camp o u ts id e th e Palace.
which conveyed even elephants and rhinoceros—in fact,
all the animals in the world—to fill our menageries at
home,—&c. &c.; as well as the strange announcement
that we lived to the northward, and had only come this
way because his friend Miisa had assured me without
doubt that he would give us the road on through Uganda.
Time flew like magic, the king’s mind was so quick and
inquiring; but as the day was wasting away, he generously
gave us our option to choose a place for our residence
in or out of his palace, and allowed us time to
select one. We found the view overlooking the lake to
be so charming, that we preferred camping outside, and
set our men at once to work cutting sticks and long grass
to erect themselves sheds.
One of the young princes—for the king ordered them
all to be constantly in attendance on us—happening to
see me sit on an iron chair, rushed back to his father and
told him about it. This set all the royals in the palace
in a state of high wonder, and ended by my getting a
summons to show off the white man sitting on his throne;
for of course I could only be, as all of them called me, a
king of great dignity, to indulge in such state. Rather
reluctantly I did as I was bid, and allowed myself once
more to be dragged into court. Riimanika, as gentle as
ever, then burst into a fresh fit of merriment, and after
making sundry enlightened remarks of inquiry, which of
course were responded to with the greatest satisfaction,
finished off by saying, with a very expressive shake of
the head, “ Oh, these Wazungu, these Wazungii! they
know and do everything.”
I then put in a word for myself. Since we had entered
Karagud we never could get one drop of milk either for
love or for money, and I wished to know what motive
the Wahuma had for withholding it. We had heard they
held superstitious dreads; that any one who ate the flesh
of pigs, fish, or fowls, or the bean called maharagud, if
he tasted the products of their cows, would destroy their
cattle—and I hoped he did not labour under any such
absurd delusions. To which he replied, I t was only the
poor who thought so; and as he now saw we were in