but were afterwards released on their promising to bring
more. a &
Nothing could be more filthy than the state of the
palace and all the lanes leading up to i t i t was well,
perhaps, that we were never expected to go there, for
without stilts and respirators it would have been, impracticable,
such is the dirty nature of the people. The kino's
cows, even, are kept in his palace enclosure, the calm
actually entering the hut, where, like a farmer, Kamrasi
walks amongst them up to his ankles in filth, and, inspecting
them, issues his orders concerning them. What has
to be selected for his guests he singles out himself.
Dr Kyengo’s men, who had been sent three times into
action against the refractory brothers, asked leave to
return to Karague; but the king, who did not fear for
their fives when his work was to be done, would not give
them leave, lest accident should befall them on the way.
We found no prejudice against eating butter amongst
these Wahiima, for they not only sold us some, but mixed
it with porridge and ate it themselves.
29th. The king has appointed a special officer to keep
our table supplied with sweet potatoes, and sent us a pot
of pombd, with his excuses for not seeing us, as business
was so pressing, and would continue to be so until the
army marched. Budja and Kasoro were again reported to
be near with a force of fifty Waganda, prepared to snatch
us away; and the king, fearing the consequences, had sent to
inf orm Budja, that if he dared attempt to approach, he would
slip us off m boats to Gani, and then fight it out with the
Waganda; for his guests, since they had been handed
over to him, had been treated with every possible respect.
To keep Kamrasi to his promise, as we particularly
wished to hear the Uganda news, Frij was sent to inform
him on my behalf that Mtdsa only wished to make friends
with all the great kings surrounding his country before
his coronation took place, when his brothers would be
burnt, and he would cease to take advice from his mother.
To treat his messengers disrespectfully could do no good,
and might provoke a war, when we should see my deserters
joined with the Waganda really coming in force against
u s; whereas, if we saw Budja, we could satisfy him, and
Mtdsa too, and obviate any such calamity. The reply
was, that Kamrasi would arrange for our having a meeting
with Budja alone if we wished i t ; he did not fear my
deserters siding with king Mtesa, but he detested the
Waganda, and could not bear to see them in his country.
30th.-7±-At breakfast-time we heard that my old friend
Kasoro had come to our camp without permission, to the
surprise of everybody, attended by all his boys, leaving
Budja and his children, on account of sickness, at the
camp assigned to the Waganda, five miles off. Kasoro
wished to speak to us, and we invited him into the h u t;
but the interview could not be permitted until Kamrasi’s
wishes on the subject had been ascertained. In a little
while the Kamraviona, having seen Kamrasi, said we
might converse with one another whilst his officers were
present listening, and sent a cow as a present for the
Waganda. Kasoro with his children now came before us
in their usual merry manner, and, after saluting, told us
how the deserters, on reaching Uganda, begged for leave
to proceed to Karagu^; but Mtesa, who would only allow
two of them to approach him, abused them, saying, “ Did
I not command you to take Bana to Gani at all risks ?
If there was no road by land, you were to go by water;
or, if that failed, to go under-ground, or in the air above ;
and if he died, you were to die with him : what, then, do
you mean by deserting him and flying here ? You shall
not move a yard from this until I receive a messenger
from him to hear what he has got to say on the matter.”
Mtesa would not take their arms, even at the desire of
Budja, on my behalf; for as no messenger on my behalf
came to him, he would not believe what Budja said, and