was deep Uganda policy in tlxis : it was for the purpose
of treating Grant as a separate, independent person, and
so obtaining a fresh hongo or tax. Laughing at the
trick, I thanked her for the beer, taking it personally on
my household, and told her when my property arrived
from Karague, she should have a few more things as I
promised her; but the men sent had neither brought my
brother in a vessel, as they were ordered, nor did they
bring my property from Karagud.
Still the queen was not content: she certainly expected
something from Grant, if it was ever so little, for she was
entitled to it, and would not listen to our being one
. house. Turning the subject, to put in a word for my
great object, I asked her to use her influence in opening
the road to Gani, as, after all, that was the best way to
get new things into Uganda. Cunning as a fox, the
•queen agreed to this project, provided .Grant remained
behind, for she had not seen enough of him yet, and she
would speak to her son about the matter in the morning.
This was really the first gleam of hope, and I set to
putting our future operations into a shape that might
lead to practical results without alarming our capricious
host. I thought that whilst I could be employed in inspecting
the river, and in feeling the route by water
to: Gani, Grant could return to Karague by water,
bringing up our rear traps, and, in navigating the lake,
obtain the information he had been frustrated in getting
by the machinations of his attendant Maribu. It was
agreed to, and all seemed well; for there was much left
to be done in Uganda and Usoga, if we could only make
sure of communicating once with Petherick. Before going
home we had some more polite conversation, during which
the:queen played with a toy in the shape of a cocoa du
mer, studded all over with cowries: this was a sort of
doll-, or symbol of a baby, and her dandling it was held
to indicate that she would ever remain a widow. In the