died; and when they came the second time, three more
died; and as this rate of mortality was quite unusual in
his family circle, he could only attribute it to foul magic.
The presence of people who brought such results was of
course by no means desirable. This neat message elicited
a declaration of the necessity of Budja’s going to Gani
with us, and a response from the commander-in-chief,
probably to terrify the Waganda, that although Gani was
only nine days’ journey distant from Kamrasi’s palace,
the Gani people were such barbarians, they would call a
straight-haired man a magician, and any person who tied
his mbQgu in a knot upon his shoulder, or had a full set
of teeth as the Waganda have, would be surely killed by
them. Finally, we must wait two days, to see if Kamrasi
would see us or not. Such was Unyoro diplomacy.
An announcement of a different kind immediately
followed. The king had heard that I gave a cow to
Vittagura and Kidgwiga when they first came to me
in Uganda, and wished the Wanyamuezi to ascertain
if this was true. Of course, I said they were my guests
in Uganda, and if they had been wise they would have
eaten their cow on the spot; what was that to Kamrasi ?
It was a pity he did not treat us as well who have coihe
into his country at his own invitation, instead of keeping
us starving in this gloomy wilderness, without a drop of
pombe to cheer the day;—why could not he let us go on ?
He wanted first to hear if the big Mzungu, meaning myself,
had really come yet. All fudge !
Three days were spent in simply waiting for return
messages on both sides, and more might have been lost in
the same way, only we amused Yittagura and gave him
confidence by showing our pictures, looking-glass, scissors,
knives, &c., when he promised a march in the morning,
leaving a man behind to bring on the Wanguana sent to
Mtdsa’s, it being the only alternative which would please
Budja; for he said there was no security for life in Unyoro,
where every Mkungfi calls himself the biggest man, and
no true hospitality is to be found.
The next two days took us through Chagamoyo to Kir-
atosi, by the aid of the compass; for the route To Chagamoyo, i _o , i s>th. Kamrasi s men took differed from the one
To Kiratosi, 30(A. kneWj anc[ he declared the Wanyoro
were leading us into a trap, and would not be convinced
we were going on all right till I pulled out the
compass and confirmed the Wanyoro. We were anything
but welcomed at Kiratosi, the people asking by what bad-
luck we had come there to eat up their crops , but in a
little while they flocked to our doors and admired our
traps, remarking that they believed each iron box contained
a couple of white dwarfs, which we carry on our
shoulders, sitting straddle-legs, back to back, and they fly
off to eat people whenever they get the order. One of
these visitors happened to be the sister of one of my men,
named Baruti, who no sooner recognised her brother, than,
without saying a word, she clasped her head with her
hands, and ran off, crying, to tell her husband what she
had seen. A spy of Kamrasi dropped the report that the
Wangtiana were returning from Mtbsas, and hurried onto
tell his king.
31 si.—Some Waganda hurrying in, confirmed the report
of last night, and said the Wanguana, footsore, had been
left at the Uganda frontier, expecting us to return, as
Mtesa, at the same time that he approved highly of my
having sent men back to inform him of Kamrasi’s conduct,
begged we would instantly return, even if found
within one march of Kamrasi s, for he had much of importance
to tell his friend Bana. The message continued
to this effect: I need be under no apprehensions about
the road to the coast, for he would give me as many men
as I liked; and, fearing I might be short of powder, he
had sent some with the Wangfiana. Both Wangiiana
were by the king given women for their services, and an