be sent back five miles from camp to hunt up
news o f him, and th e y , fortunaly, saved him,
though menaced b y a band o f natives. Some
sick Waganda fell victims in the evening to the
wrath o f a roving party o f the natives, who had
been disturbed in mind b y our presence.
Our descent into the fields o f Uzimba was so
unexpected that the inhabitants were utterly
ignorant o f our character and country. A s they
ran away, th ey asked the advance-guard why
the king o f An ko ri had sent his people to their
country, and warned them that the next day
th e y would come to fight. A t night, however,
the great war-drum o f G eneral Sambuzi revealed
far and wide the character o f the force, and
announced that the Waganda were amongst them.
A council o f all the chiefs and leaders o f our
Expedition was held next day, at which it was
resolved to send out that night 200 men to
capture a few prisoners, through whom we could
communicate our intentions to Ruigi o f Uzimba,
and Kasheshe, king o f Unyampaka, which country
bordered the lake west o f Uzimba. A s the lake
was only four miles distant, it became necessary
to know how we were regarded b y the natives,
and whether we might exp ect peaceful possession
o f a camp for a month or so.
Some ten prisoners were captured, and, after
receiving gifts o f cloth and beads, were released,
to convey the news to their respective chiefs
[JUn ampaka^ ] 0FFERS 0 F PEACE TO THE NATIVES. 255
that the Waganda had brought a white man,
who wished to see the lake, and who asked
permission to reside in peace in the country a
few d a y s ; that the white man intended to p a y
for all food consumed b y the strangers; that he
would occupy no village, and injure no property,
but would build his camp separate from the
villages, into which the natives, having food to
sell, were requested to bring it, and to receive
payment in cloth, beads, brass, or copper, assured
that, so long as they offered no cause, and
kept the peace, they should receive no annoyance.
An answer, w e said, was expected within two days.
On the n t h January we left the villages o f
Uzimba, and marched to within a mile o f the
edge o f the plateau,* at the base o f which, about
1500 feet below, la y the lake. Tru e to our
promise, we occupied no v illa g e , but built our
camp on the broad summit o f a low ridge, whence
we commanded a clear, open view o f our neighbourhood.
T he Expedition occupied the lake
end o f the ridge , while the Waganda occupied
the centre and eastern end. On the southern and
northern sides the hill sloped down to open
grassy hollows. No trees or other obstructions
impeded our command o f the approaches. The
Waganda camps were surrounded b y huts, the
doors o f which turned outwards, whence night
* Our camp by boiling-point was at an altitude of 4724
feet above the sea.