Boys came out,
by the king's order to inquire what I wanted, but left again
without doing anything further.
At my request the king sent off boats to inquire after the one
that left, or was supposed to have left, for Grant on the 3d of
March, and he then ordered the return home, much to my delight;
for, beautiful as the N'yanza was, the want of consideration for
other people's comfort, the tiring, incessant boating, all day
long and every day, in the sun, as well as the king's hurry-
scurry about everything he undertook to do, without the smallest
forethought, preparation, or warning, made me dream of my
children, and look forward with pleasure to rejoining them.
Strange as it may appear to Englishmen, I had a sort of paternal
love for those little blackamoors as if they had been my
offspring; and I enjoyed the simple stories that their sable
visitors told me every day they came over to smoke their pipes,
which they did with the utmost familiarity, helping themselves
from my stores just as they liked.
Without any breakfast, we returned by the same route by which we
had come, at four miles an hour, till half the way was cleared,
when the king said, laughing, "Bana, are you hungry?" - a
ridiculous question after twenty-four hours of starvation, which
he knew full well - and led the way into a plantain-grove, where
the first hut that was found was turned inside out for the king's
accommodation, and picnic was prepared. As, however, he ordered
my portion to be given outside with the pages', and allowed
neither pombe or water, I gave him the slip, and walked hurriedly
home, where I found Kahala smirking, and apparently glad to see
us, but Meri shamming ill in bed, whilst Manamaka, the governess,
was full of smiles and conversation. She declared Meri had
neither tasted food or slept since my departure, but had been
retching all the time. Dreadfully concerned at the doleful story
I immediately thought of giving relief with medicines, but
neither pulse, tongue, nor anything else indicated the slightest
disorder; and to add to these troubles, Ilmas's woman had tried
during my absence to hang herself, because she would not serve as
servant but wished to be my wife; and Bombay's wife, after taking
a doze of quinine, was delivered of a still-born child.
1st. - I visited the king, at his request, with the medicine-
chest. He had caught a cold. He showed me several of his women
grievously affected with boils, and expected me to cure them at
once. I then went home, and found twenty men who had passed
Grant, coming on a stretcher from Karague, without any of the
rear property. Meri, still persistent, rejected strengthening
medicines, but said, in a confidential manner, if I would give
her a goat to sacrifice to the Uganga she would recover in no
time. There was something in her manner when she said this that
I did not like - it looked suspicious; and I contented myself by
saying, "No, I am a wiser doctor than any in these lands; if
anybody could cure you, that person is myself:
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