people take no slaves as the Waganda do. Then
the only chance for our lives that I see is to
pack up to-night, and to-morrow morning at
sunrise to march and fight our w a y through
them Now tell me as your friend what you
will do. Will you stop here, or go with us,
and try another road? For I must tell you, if
you do not know it and see it for yourself
that yo u will never put your boat and the canoe
on the Nyanza at this place. How can you
g et your boat down the cliffs while you are
ghting, and thousands pressing round you?
Even if yo u reach the water’s edge, how can
you work on her two days, and fight?”
T o his questions I r e p l i e d : - “ I knew what
your decision would be from what the Waganda
have done on former occasions. When Magassa
was sent with me to Usukuma b y the lake, he
ran aw ay and left me to fight Bumbireh alone.
When the Waganda were sent with Abdul Assiz
e y (M. Li'nant de Bellefonds) to Gondokoro
th e y followed him as far as Unyoro, and when
j th e y saw the Wanyoro coming, they deserted
¡ him, and stole nearly all his boxes, and Abdul
j As siz B e y had to fight his w a y to Gondokoro
. one- W e white men will soon learn that there
is no man so cowardly as a native o f Uganda.
F o r yo u r advice I thank yo u ; to-night I will
g iv e y o u my answer.”
A s soon as I left the council, Sambuzi caused
[-Jan. 13, 1876.-1 WHAT M Y WANGWANA THINK O F IT. 265
L U n y am p a k a . J
the great war-drum to be sounded for the morrow’s
march and expected battle. It also announced
to the anxious members o f the E x pedition
that the Waganda had resolved to return.
On arriving at camp, I saw looks o f dismay
on each face. I called Pocock and the captains
o f the Expedition, and proceeded to unfold
our position and Sambuzi’s intention to return,
described to them what dangers environed
us, and what hopes were left, and then asked
them to give their own opinion o f the matter
freely.
A fter a long hesitation and silence the gallant
and ever faithful Kacheche spoke, and said:—
“Master, I do not know what my brothers here
think o f the matter, but I see plainly that we
have been brought to the edge o f a deep pit,
and that the Waganda will push us into it i f we
do not follow them. F o r my part, I have nothing
further to say, except that I will do e x actly
as yo u command. L iv e or die, all is one
to me. If yo u say, let us go on, and leave the
Waganda to return without us, I sa y so also;
i f yo u say, return, I also say, return. Th a t is
my opinion. But I would like to ask you, if
we determine to go on b y ourselves, have we
any chance at all o f being able to start from this
camp, because I see we are surrounded b y natives
bent on war? If all these Waganda with
our help are not able to make our position