I Expected
Some Piece Of Cruel Mischief To Come Of All This, But The King,
In His Usual Capricious Way, Suddenly Rising, Walked Off To A
Third Court, Followed Only By A Select Few.
Here, turning to me, he said, "Bana, I love you, because you have
come so far to see me,
And have taught me so many things since
you have been here." Rising, with my hand to my heart, and
gracefully bowing at this strange announcement - for at that
moment I was full of hunger and wrath - I intimated I was much
flattered at hearing it, but as my house was in a state of
starvation, I trusted he would consider it. "What!" said he, "do
you want goats?" "Yes, very much." The pages then received
orders to furnish me with ten that moment, as the king's farmyard
was empty, and he would reimburse them as soon as more
confiscations took place. But this, I said, was not enough; the
Wanguana wanted plantains, for they had received none these
fifteen days. "What!" said the king, turning to his pages again,
"have you given these men no plantains, as I ordered? Go and
fetch them this moment, and pombe too, for Bana."
The subject then turned on the plan I had formed of going to Gani
by water, and of sending Grant to Karague by the lake; but the
king's mind was fully occupied with the compass I had given him.
He required me to explain its use, and then broke up the meeting.
4th. - Viarungi, an officer sent by Rumanika to escort Grant to
Uganda, as well as to apply to king Mtesa for a force to fight
his brother Rogero, called on me with Rozaro, and said he had
received instructions from his king to apply to me for forty cows
and two slave-boys, because the Arabs who pass through his
country to Uganda always make him a present of that sort after
receiving them from Mtesa. After telling him we English never
give the presents they have received away to any one, and never
make slaves, but free them, I laid a complaint against Rozaro for
having brought much trouble and disgrace upon my camp, as well as
much trouble on myself, and begged that he might be removed from
my camp. Rozaro then attempted to excuse himself, but without
success, and said he had already detached his residence from my
camp, and taken up a separate residence with Viarungi, his
superior officer.
I called on the king in the afternoon, and found the pages had
already issued plantains for my men and pombe for myself. The
king addressed me with great cordiality, and asked if I wished to
go to Gani. I answered him with all promptitude, - Yes, at once,
with some of his officers competent to judge of the value of all
I point out to them for future purposes in keeping the road
permanently open. His provoking capriciousness, however, again
broke in, and he put me off till his messengers should return
from Unyoro.
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