promise by sending Budja to me, I should have despatched
letters to Petherick. This was no sooner interpreted than
he said, if I would send my men to him with letters in
the morning he would forward them on, accompanied
with an army. On my asking if the army was intended
to fight, he replied in short, “ First to feel the way.” On
hearing this, I strongly advised him, if he wished the
road to be kept permanently open, to try conciliation
with Kamrasi, and send him some trifling present.
Now were brought in some thirty-odd women for
punishment and execution, when the king, who of late
had been trying to learn Kisuahili, in order that we might
be able to converse together, asked me, in that language,
if I would like to have some of these women ; and if so,
how many ? On my replying “ One,” he begged me to
take my choice, and a very pretty one was selected. God
only knows what became of the rest; but the one. I
selected, on reaching home, I gave to Ilmas, my valet,
for a wife. He and all the other household servants were
much delighted with this charming acquisition ; but the
poor girl, from the time she had been selected, had flattered
herself she was to be Bana’s wife, and became immensely
indignant at the supposed transfer, though from
the first I had intended her for Ilmas, not only to favour
him for his past good services, but as an example to my
other men, as I had promised to give them all, provided
they behaved well upon the journey, a “ free-man’s
garden,” with one wife each and a purse of money, to
begin a new life upon, as soon as they reached Zanzibar.
The temper of Mèri and Kahala was shown in a very
forcible manner: they wanted this maid as an addition
to my family, called her into the hut and chatted till
midnight, instructing her not to wed with Ilmas; and
then, instead of turning into bed as usual, they all three
slept upon the ground. My patience could stand this
phase of henpecking no longer, so I called in Man am aka.
the head Myamudzi woman, whom I had selected for
their governess, and directed her to assist Ilmas, and put
them to bed “ bundling.”
21 st.—In the morning, before I had time to write letters,
the king invited me to join him at some new tank
he was making between his palace and the residence of
his brothers. I found him sitting with his brothers, all
playing in concert on flutes. I asked him, in Kisuahili,
if he knew where Grant was ? On replying in the negative,
I proposed sending a letter, which he approved of;
and Budja was again ordered to go with an army
for Petherick.
22d.—Mabruki and Bilal, with Budja, started to meet
Petherick, and three more men, with another letter to
Grant. I called on the king, who appointed the 24th
instant for an excursion of three days’ hippopotamus-
shooting on the N’yanza.
23cZM-To-day occurred a brilliant instance of the capricious
restlessness and self-willedness of this despotic king.
At noon, pages hurried in to say that he had started for
the N’yanza, and wished me to follow him .without delay.
N’yanza, as I have mentioned, merely means a piece of
water, whether a pond, river, or lake; and as no one
knew which N’yanza he meant, or what project was on
foot, I started off in a hurry, leaving everything behind,
and walked rapidly through gardens, over hills, and across
rushy swamps, down the west flank of the Murchison
Creek, till 3 p .m., when I found the king dressed in
red, with his Wakungii in front and women behind,
travelling along in the confused manner of a pack of
hounds, occasionally firing his rifle that I might know
his whereabouts. He had just, it seems, mingled a little
business with pleasure; for noticing, as he passed, a woman
tied by the hands to be punished for some offence, the
nature of which I did not learn, he took the executioner’s
duty on himself, fired at her, and killed her outright.