I Ordered All Our People To Retire And To Conceal Themselves Among The
Plantains, That The Natives Might Not Be Startled By So Imposing A
Force, While Mrs. Baker And I Advanced Alone To Meet Kamrasi's People,
Who Were Men Of Some Importance.
Upon landing through the high reeds,
they immediately recognized the similarity of my beard and general
complexion to those
Of Speke, and their welcome was at once displayed by
the most extravagant dancing and gesticulating with lances and shields,
as though intending to attack, rushing at me with the points of their
lances thrust close to my face, and shouting and singing in great
excitement.
I made each of them a present of a bead necklace, and explained to them
my wish that there should be no delay in my presentation to Kamrasi, as
Speke had complained that he had been kept waiting fifteen days before
the king had condescended to see him; that if this occurred no
Englishman would ever visit him, as such a reception would be considered
an insult. The headman replied that he felt sure I was not an impostor;
but that very shortly after the departure of Speke and Grant in the
previous year a number of people had arrived in their name, introducing
themselves as their greatest friends. They had been ferried across the
river, and well received by Kamrasi's orders, and had been presented
with ivory, slaves, and leopard-skins, as tokens of friendship; but they
had departed, and suddenly returned with Rionga's people, and attacked
the village in which they had been so well received; and upon the
country being assembled to resist them, about three hundred of Kamrasi's
men had been killed in the fight.
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