tell the queen every word of it, which would be even more
efficacious.
4 th.—I bullied Kamrasi by telling him we must go
with this moon, for the benefit of its light whilst crossing
the Kidi wilderness; as if we did not reach the vessels in
time for seasonable departure down the Nile, we should
have to wait another year for their return from Khartum.
“ What! said Kamrasi, “ does Bana forget my promised
appointment that I would either see him to-day or tomorrow
? I cannot do so to-day, and therefore to -morrow
we will certainly meet and bid good-bye.” The Gani
men, who came with Bombay, said they would escort us
to their country, although, as a rule, they never cross the
Kidi wilderness above once in two years, from fear of the
hunting natives, who make game of everybody and everything
they see; in other words, they seize strangers,
plunder them, and sell them as slaves. To cross that
tract, the dry season is the best, when all the grass is
burnt down, or from the middle of December to the end
of March. I gave them a cow, and they at once killed it,
and, sitting down, commenced eating her flesh raw, out
of choice.
5 th.—The Kamraviona came to inform us that the
king was ready for the great interview, where we could
both speak what we had at heart, for as yet he had only
heard what our servants had to say; and there was a
supplement to the message, of the usual kind, that he
would like a present of a pencil. The pencil was sent
in the first place, because we did not like talking about
trifles when we visited great kings.
The interview followed. It was opened on our side by
our saying we had enjoyed his hospitality a great number
of days, and wished to go to our homes; should he have
any message to send to the great Queen of England, we
should be happy to convey it. A long yam then emanated
from the throne. He defended his over-cautiousness when
admitting us into Unyoro. It was caused at first by
wicked men who did not wish us to visit him ; he subsequently
saw through their representations, and now was
very pleased with us as he found us. Of course he could
not tie us do wn to stopping here against our wish, but,
for safety's sake, he would like us to stop a little longer,
until he could send messengers ahead, requesting the wild
men in Kidi not to molest us. That state trick failing to
frighten and stop us, he tried another, by saying, when we
departed, he hoped we would leave two men with guns
behind, to occupy our present camp, and so delude the
people into the belief that merely a party of their followers,
and not the white men themselves, had left his
house, for the purpose of spreading terror in the minds
of the people we might meet, who, not knowing the number
of men behind, would naturally conclude there was
a large reserve force ready to release us in case of necessity.
This foxy speech was too transparent to require one
moment’s reflection. In a country where men were property,
the fate of one or two left behind was obvious;
and had we doubted that his object was to get possession
of them, his next words would have sufficiently revealed
it. He said, “As you gave men to Mffisa, why would
you refuse them to me ?” but was checkmated on being
told, “ Should any of those men who deserted us in this
country ever reach their homes, they will all be hung for
breaking their allegiance or oath.” “Well,” says the
king, “ I have acceded to everything you have to say;
and the day after to-morrow, when I shall have had time
to collect men to go with you, and selected the two princes
you have promised to educate, we will meet again and
say good-bye; but you must give me a gun and some
more medicine, as well as the powder and ball you promised
after reaching the vessels.” This was all acquiesced
in, and we wished to take his portrait, but he would not