tended not to understand him, continuing to drink, he
rudely snatched the cup from my lips. Alternate concerts
with the brothers, and conversation about hunting,
in consequence of a bump caused by a fall when steeple-
chasing, which was discovered on my forehead, ended this
day’s entertainment.
5th.—As all the Wangiiana went foraging, I was compelled
to stop at home. The king, however, sent an officer
for Grant, because I would not believe in his statement
yesterday that he was coming by land; and I also sent a
lot of men with a litter to help him on, and bring me an
answer.
Qth-—I went to the palace at the king’s command.
He kept us waiting an hour, and then passing out by a
side gate, beckoned us to follow. He was dressed in
European clothes, with his guns and tin box of clothes
leading the way. His first question was, “Well, Bana,
where are your guns? for I have called you to go shooting.”
“ The pages never said anything about shooting,
and therefore the guns were left behind.” Totally unconcerned,
the king walked on to his brothers, headed by
a band and attendants, who were much lauded for being
ready at a moment’s notice. A grand flute concert was
then played, one of the younger brothers keeping time
with a long hand-drum; then the band played; and
d a n c i n g and duets and singing followed. After the usual
presentations, fines, and n’yanziggings, I asked for leave to
go and meet Grant by water, but was hastily told that two
boats had been sent for him when we returned from the
N’yanza, and that two runners, just returned from Karaghd,
said he was on the way not far off. The child-king then
changed his dress for another suit of clothes for his
brothers to admire, and I retired, much annoyed, as he
would neither give pombd for myself, nor plantains for
my men: and I was further annoyed on my arrival at
home, to find the Wangiiana mobbing my hut and clamouring
for food, and calling for an order to plunder if I
did not give them beads, which, as the stock had run
short, I could only do by their returning to Karaghé
for the beads stored there; and, even if they were obtained,
it was questionable if the king would revoke his
order prohibiting the sale of provisions to us.
*jth.—To-day I called at the queen’s, but had to wait
five hours in company with some attendants, to whom
she sent pombó occasionally ; but after waiting for her
nearly all day, they were dismissed, because excess of business
prevented her seeing them, though I was desired to
remain. I asked these attendants to sell me food for
beads, but they declared they could not without obtaining
permission. In the evening the queen stumped out
of her chambers and walked to the other end of her
palace, where the head or queen of the Wichwézi women
lived, to whom everybody paid the profoundest respect.
On the way I joined her, she saying, in a state of high
anger, “You won’t call on me, now I have given you such
a c h a rm i n g damsel : you have quite forgotten us in your
love of home.” Of course Méri’s misdemeanour had to be
explained, when she said, “ As that is the case, I will give
you another ; but you must take Mèri out of the country,
else she will bring trouble on us ; for, you know, I never
gave girls who lived in the palace to any one in my life
before, because they would tell domestic affairs not proper
for common people to know.” I then said my reason for
not seeing her before was, that the four times I had sent
messengers to make an appointment for the following day,
they had been repulsed from her doors. This she would
not believe, but called me a story-teller in very coarse
language, until the men who had been sent were pointed
out to her, and they corroborated me.
The Wichwézi queen met her majesty with her head
held very high, and instead of permitting me to sit on my
box of grass, threw out a bundle of grass for that purpose.