honour to protect and defend to the best o f my
ability. T h e y had pledged themselves to me
on ly upon the conditipn that I should secure
their safety, and they looked to me to watch
and guard their lives with paternal care. In my
opinion, considering all the circumstances, I
could not have better avoided trouble than_
while the savages were actively preparing and
offensively boasting— b y acting as I did.
Ab out 4 P.M. a small fleet o f s ix beautiful
canoes, painted a brown colour, were seen
approaching u s , having travelled mid-channel
between Bumbireh and Ihangiro. We soon made
them out to be Waganda, and when the chief,
who was received with loud and warm greetings,
had landed, he ga ve his name as Sabadu.
He soon informed us that he was on a double
errand, one o f which was to proceed to Ka g eh y i
in Usukuma to convey the Arab Sungoro to
Uganda, and the other was to hunt up news o f
myself. He said also that I had been reported
b y the long lost Magassa, on his return to
Uganda, to have been either murdered b y the
savages o f Bumbireh or to have foundered in
the lake. He had returned with the oars and
drum to Mtesa, who was much shocked at the
sight o f them, for he believed that, as the oars
were our fe e t ,” we were murdered. But as
nothing else was found, such as traces or parts
o f the boat, Mtesa was in doubt; he had thererJu!
Xl8, l8t Manyiga.« -Jl WELCOME FRIENDS.
fore enjoined Sabadu to make strict enquiries at
all points about the, and had despatched Magassa
with a strong force b y land to Uzongora and
Ihangiro, and a Mtongoleh, called M’kwanga,
with a fleet o f eight canoes, to prosecute a
more rigid search b y water along all the coasts.
Sabadu said also that, while he was at KytaWa’s
with M’kwanga, on the mainland, he had heard
of our danger, and had hurried tip to assist us,
and that M’kwanga would appear on the morrow
with eight canoes manned b y Waganda, and
five canoes manned b y K y taw a ’s people under
two chiefs, w h o , b y their influence with Aritari,
might negotiate a successful peace.
Sabadu, upon delivering his news, was, as
may well be imagined, 'heartily welcomed, and
was readily induced, upon my taking the responsibility,
to remain With me, to assist in th e
transport o f the expedition to Uganda, for which
his canoes , with those o f M’kwanga and KytaWa,
would prove amply sufficient. He Whs also
informed in his turn o f the State o f affairs 'at
Bumbireh and Ihangiro, at Which he expressed
great indignation; but both he r&fid Bugomba-1-^-
a youth o f sixteen, the brother o f the KatekiiO,
or Premier, o f Uganda—Were confident that,
when th ey should proceed to Bumbireh tO treat
with the natives through the assistance o f K y ta wa’s
chiefs, they Would be able to persUade them
to abandon their hostile attitude. My ekpetienoe