coming by Karagiid instead of by the Nile, because the
“ Wanya B&*i” (Bari people at G-ondokoro) bad defeated
tbe projects of all former attempts made by white men to
reach Unyoro. The purpose of my coming was to ascertain
whether his majesty would like to trade with our
country, exchanging ivory for articles of European manufacture
; as, should he do so, merchants would come here
in the same way as they went from Zanzibar to Karague.
Btimanika and Mtfea were both anxious for trade, and
I felt sorry he would not listen to my advice and make
friends with Mtdsa; for unless the influence of trade was
brought in to check the Waganda from pillaging the
country, nothing would do so.
Kamrasi, in a very quiet, mild manner, instead of answering
the question, told us of the absurd stories which
he had heard from the Waganda, said he did not believe
them, else his rivers, deprived of their fountains, would
have run dry j and he thought, if we did eat hills and the
tender parts of mankind, we should have had enough to
satisfy our appetites before we reached Unyoro. Now,
however, he was glad to see that, although our hair was
straight and our faces white, we still possessed hands and
feet like other men.
The present was then opened, and everything in turn
placed upon the red blanket. The goggles created some
mirth; so did the scissors, as Bombay, to show their use,
clipped his beard, and the lucifers were considered a wonder
; but the king scarcely moved or uttered any remarks
till all was over, when, at the instigation of the courtiers,
my chronometer was asked for and shown. This wonderful
instrument, said the officers (mistaking it for my
compass), was the magic horn by which the white men
found their way everywhere. Kamrasi said he must have
it, for, besides it, the gun was the only thing new to him.
The chronometer, however, I said, was the only one left,
and could not possibly be parted w ith; though, if Kamrasi
liked to send men to Gani, a new one could be obtained
for him.
Then, changing the subject, much to my relief, Kamrasi
asked Bombay, “Who governs England?” “ A Woman.”
“ Has she any children ?” “ Yes,” said Bombay, with ready
impudence; “ these are two of them” (pointing to Grant
and myself). That settled, Kamrasi wished to know if
we had any speckled cows, or cows of any peculiar
colour, and would we like to change four large cows for
four small ones, as he coveted some of ours. This was a
staggerer. We had totally failed; then, in conveying to
this stupid king the impression that we were not mere
traders, ready to bargain with him. We would present
him with cows if we had such as he wanted, but we could
not bargain. The meeting then broke up in the samR
chilling manner as it began, and we returned as we came,
but no sooner reached home than four pots of pombe were
sent us, with a hope that we had arrived all safely. The
present gave great satisfaction. The Wanguana accused
Prij of having “ unclean hands,” because the beef had not
lasted so long as it should do—it being a notable fact in
Mussulman creed, that unless the man’s hands are pure
who cuts the throat of an animal, its flesh will not last
fresh half the ordinary time.
19 th.—As the presents given yesterday occupied the
king’s mind too much for other business, I now sent to
offer him one-third of the guns left in Uganda, provided
he would send some messengers with one of my men to
ask Mtesa for them, and also the same proportion of the
sixty loads of' property left in charge of Rumanika at
Karague, if he would send the requisite number of porters
for its removal. But of all things, I said, I most wished
to send a letter to Petherick at Gani, to apprise him of
our whereabouts, for he must have been four years waiting
our arrival there, and by the same opportunity I
2 K