He Replied That It Was A Very
Feverish Country, And That He And His People Had Used All The Medicine.
Thus My Last Hope Of Quinine Was Cut Off.
I had always trusted to obtain
a supply from the king, as Speke had told me that he had left a bottle
with him.
It was quite impossible to obtain any information from him,
and I was carried back to my hut, where I found Mrs. Baker lying down
with fever, and neither of us could render assistance to the other.
On the following morning the king again appeared. I was better, and had
a long interview. He did not appear to heed my questions, but he at once
requested that I would ally myself with him, and attack his enemy,
Rionga. I told him that I could not embroil myself in such quarrels, but
that I had only one object, which was the lake. I requested that he
would give Ibrahim a large quantity of ivory, and that on his return
from Gondokoro he would bring him most valuable articles in exchange. He
said that he was not sure whether my belly was black or white; by this
he intended to express evil or good intentions; but that if it were
white I should, of course, have no objection to exchange blood with him,
as a proof of friendship and sincerity. This was rather too strong a
dose! I replied that it would be impossible, as in my country the
shedding of blood was considered a proof of hostility; therefore he must
accept Ibrahim as my substitute.
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