him by his blood till dark, for the bullet had pierced his
luiigs and passed out on the other side. Failing to find
him on the way home, I shot, besides florikan and guinea-
chicks, a wonderful goatsucker, remarkable for the exceeding
length of some of its feathers floating out far
G-oafisucker (Cosmetornis Spekii)
beyond the rest in both wings.* Returning home, I
found the men who had charge of the dead buck all in a
state of excitement; they no sooner removed his carcass,
than two lions came out of the jungle and lapped his
blood. All the Waganda ran away at once; but my braves
feared my anger more than the lions, and came off safely
with the buck on their shoulders.
23c?. — Three boats arrived, like those used on the
Murchison Creek, and when I demanded the rest, as well
as a decisive answer about going to Kamrasi’s, the acting
Mkungii said he was afraid accidents might happen, and
* Named by Dr P. L. Sclater, Cosmetornis Spekii. The seventh pen
feathers are double the length of the ordinaries, the eighth double that of
the seventh, and the ninth 20 inches long. Bombay says the same bird is
found in Uhiyow.
fie would not take me. Nothing would frighten this pigheaded
creature into compliance, though I told him I had
arranged with the king to make the Nile the channel of
communication with England. I therefore applied to him
for guides to conduct me up the river, and ordered Bombay
and Kasoro to obtain fresh orders from the king, as
all future Wazungfi, coming to Uganda to visit or trade,
would prefer the passage by the river. I shot another
buck in the evening, as the Waganda love their skins,
and also a load of guinea-fowl—three, four, and five at a
shot—as Kasoro and his boys prefer them to anything.
24th.—The acting officer absconded, but another man
came in his place, and offered to take us on the way up
the river to-morrow, humbugging Kasoro into the belief
that his road to the palace would branch off from the
first stage, though in reality it was here. The Mkungii’s
women brought pombd, and spent the day gazing at us,
till, in the evening, when I took up my rifle, one ran after
Bana to see him shoot, and followed like a man; but the
only sport she got was on an ant-hill, where she fixed
herself some time, popping into her mouth and devouring
the white ants as fast as they emanated from their cells—
for, disdaining does, I missed the only pongo buck I got
a shot at in my anxiety to show the fair one what she
came for.
Reports came to-day of new cruelties at the palace.
Kasoro improved on their off-hand manslaughter by saying
that two Kamravionas and two Sakibobos, as well as
all the old Wakungii of Sunna’s time, had been executed
by the orders of king Mtfea. He told us, moreover, that
if Mtfea ever has a dream that his father directs him to
kill anybody as being dangerous to his person, the order
is religiously kept. I wished to send a message to Mtesa
by an officer who is starting at once to pay his respects
at court; but although he received it, and promised to
deliver it, Kasoro laughed at me for expecting that one