“ Very good; I will send men either by water or overland
through Kidi,* just as your master likes; only some of
his men had better go with mine: but now shoot coavs,
shoot cows; for I want to see how the Wanghana shoot.”
They shot seven, and all were given to them when they
were dismissed. In the evening the pages came to ask
me if I would like to shoot kites in the palace with their
king; but I declined shooting anything less than elephants,
rhinoceros, or buffaloes; and even for these I would not go
out unless the king went with me ;—a dodge I conceived,
would tend more than any other to bring us together, and
so break through those ceremonial restraints of the court,
which at present were stopping all plans of progression.
25th.—The king invited me to shoot Avith him—really
buffaloes—close to the palace; but as the pages had been
sent off in a hurry, without being fully instructed, I
declined, on the plea that I had always been gulled and
kept Avaiting, or treated with incivility, for hours before I
obtained an intervdew; and as I did not wrish to have any
more ruptures in the palace, 1 proposed Bombay should
go to make proper arrangements for my reception on the
morrow—as, anyhow, at present I felt indisposed. The
pages dreaded their master’s wrath, departed for a while,
and then sent another lad to tell me he was sorry to hear
I felt unwell, but he hoped I would come if only for a
minute, bringing my medicines with me, for he himself
felt pain. That this second message was a forged one I
had no doubt, for the boys had not been long enough
gone; still, I packed up my medicines and went, leaving
the onus, should any accident happen, upon the mischievous
story-bearers.
As I anticipated, on arrival at the palace I found the
king was not ready to receive me, and the pages desired
me to sit with the officers in waiting until he might
* The straight road down the Nile through Unyoro no one dared allude to
a t this time, as the two kings were always fighting.
appear. I found it necessary to fly at once into a rage,
called the pages a set of deceiving young blackguards,
turned upon my heel, and walked straight back through
the courts, intending to leave the palace. Everybody
was alarmed; information of my retreat at once reached
the king, and he sent his Wakongu to prevent my egress.
These officers passed me, as I Avas Avalking hurriedly
along under my umbrella, in the last court, and shut the
entrance-gate in front of me. This was too much, so I
stamped, and, pointing my finger, swore in every language
I knew, that if they did not open the gate again, as they
had shut it at once, and that, too, before my face, I Avould
never leave the spot I stood upon alive. Terror-stricken,
the Wakungu fell on their knees before me, doing as they
were bid; and, to please them, I returned at once and
went up to the king, Avho, noAV sitting on his throne,
asked the officers how they had managed to entice me
back; to which they all replied in a breath, n’yanzigging
heartily, “ Oh, we were so afraid—he was so terrible ! but
he turned at once as soon as we opened the gate.” “ How \
Avhat gate t tell us all about it.” And when the Avhole
story was fully narrated, the matter was thought a good
joke. After pausing a little, I asked the king what ailed
him, for I was sorry to hear he had been sick; but instead
of replying, he shook his head, as much as to say, I had
put a very uncouth question to his majesty—and ordered
some men to shoot cows.
Instead of admiring this childish pastime, which in
Uganda is considered royal sport, I rather looked disdainful,
until, apparently disappointed at my indifference,
he asked what the box I had brought contained. On
being told it was the medicine he desired, he asked me to
draw near, and sent his courtiers away. -When only the
interpreters and one confidential officer were left, besides
myself, he Avished to know if I could apply the medicine
without its touching the afflicted part. To give him con