his women for a considerable time, the second scene ended.
The third scene was more easily arranged, for the day was
fast declining. He simply moved with his train of women
to another hut, where, after seating himself upon his
throne, with his women around him, he invited me to
approach the nearest limits of propriety, and to sit as
before. Again he asked me if I had seen him—evidently
desirous of indulging in his regal pride; so I made the
most of the opportunity thus afforded me of opening a
conversation by telling him of those grand reports I had
formerly heard about him, which induced me to come all
this way to see him, and the trouble it had cost me to
reach the object of my desire; at the same time taking a
gold ring from off my finger, and presenting it to him, I
said, “ This is a small token of friendship; if you will
inspect it, it is made after the fashion of a dog-collar, and,
being the king of metals, gold, is in every respect appropriate
to your illustrious race.”
He said, in return, “ If friendship is your desire, what
would you say if I showed you a road by which you
might reach your home in one month ? ” Now everything
had to be told to Bombay, then to Nasib, my Kiganda
interpreter, and then to either Maul a or jSPyamgundu,
before it was delivered to the king, for it was considered
indecorous to transmit any message to his majesty excepting
through the medium of one of his officers. Hence I
could not get an answer put in ; for as all Waganda are
rapid and impetuous in their conversation, the king,
probably forgetting he had put a question, hastily changed
the conversation and said, “ What guns have you got ?
Let me see the one you shoot with.” I wished still to
answer the first question first, as I knew he referred to the
direct line to Zanzibar across the Masai, and was anxious,
without delay, to open the subject of Petherick and Grant;
but no one dared to deliver my statement. Much disappointed,
I then said, “ I had brought the best shootinggun
in the world—Whitworth’s rifle—which I begged he
would accept, with a few other trifles ; and, with his permission,
I would lay them upon a carpet at his feet, as is
the custom of my country when visiting sultans. He
assented, sent all his women away, and had an mbiigii
spread for the purpose, on which Bombay, obeying my
order, first spread a red blanket, and then opened each
article one after the other, when Nasib, according to the
usage already mentioned, smoothed them down with his
dirty hands, or rubbed them against his sooty face, and
handed them to the king to show there was no poison or
witchcraft in them. Mtesa appeared quite confused with
the various wonders as lie handled them, made silly
remarks, and pondered over them like a perfect child,
until it was quite dark. Torches were then lit, and guns,
pistols, powder, boxes, tools, beads—the whole collection,
in short—were tossed together topsy-turvy, bundled into
mbugus, and carried away by the pages. Mt&a now said,
“ It is late, and time to break u p ; what provisions would
you wish to have ? ” I said, “A little of everything, but
no one thing constantly.” “ And would you like to see
me to-morrow ? ” “ Yes, every day.” “ Then you can’t
to-morrow, for I have business; but the next day come if
you like. You can now go away, and here are six pots
of plantain-wine for you; my men will search for food
to-morrow.”
21si.-*-In the morning, whilst it rained, some pages
drove in twenty cows and ten goats, with a polite metaphorical
message^ from their king, to the effect that I had
pleased him much, and he hoped I would accept these few
“ chickens ” until he could send more,—when both Matila
and N’yamgundii, charmed with their success in having
brought a welcome guest to Uganda, never ceased showering
eulogiums on me for my fortune in having gained the
countenance of their king. The rain falling was considered
at court a good omen, and everybody declared the king