The Potters Overtook Him, And, As He Pointed His Gun, Which They
Considered A Magic-Horn, They Speared Him To Death, And Then Fled
At Once.
Our survivors were not long in bringing the news into
camp, when a party went out, and in the evening brought in the
man's corpse and everything belonging to him, for nothing had
been taken.
12th. - To enable me at my leisure to trace up the Nile to its
exit from the lake, and then go on with the journey as quickly as
possible, I wished the cattle to be collected and taken by Budja
and some of my men with the heavy baggage overland to Kamrasi's.
Another reason for doing so was, that I thought it advisable
Kamrasi should be forewarned that we were coming by the water
route, lest we should be suspected and stopped as spies by his
officers on the river, or regarded as enemies, which would
provoke a fight. Budja, however, objected to move until a report
of Kari's murder had been forwarded to the king, lest the people,
getting bumptious, should try the same trick again; and Kasoro
said he would not go up the river, as he had received no orders
to do so.
In this fix I ordered a march back to the palace, mentioning the
king's last words, and should have gone, had not Budja ordered
Kasoro to go with me. A page then arrived from the king to ask
after Bana's health, carrying the Whitworth rifle as his master's
card, and begging for a heavy double-barrelled gun to be sent him
from Gani. I called this lad to witness the agreement I had made
with Budja, and told him, if Kasoro satisfied me, I would return
by him, in addition to the heavy gun, a Massey's patent log. I
had taken it for the navigation of the lake, and it was now of no
further use to me, but, being an instrument of complicated
structure, it would be a valuable addition to the king's museum
of magic charms. I added I should like the king to send me the
robes of honour and spears he had once promised me, in order that
I might, on reaching England, be able to show my countrymen a
specimen of the manufactures of his country. The men who were
with Kari were now sent to the palace, under accusation of having
led him into ambush, and a complaint was made against the
villagers, which we waited the reply to. As Budja forbade it, no
men would follow me out shooting, saying the villagers were out
surrounding our camp, and threatening destruction on any one who
dared show his face; for this was not the highroad to Uganda, and
therefore no one had a right to turn them out of their houses and
pillage their gardens.
13th. - Budja lost two cows given to his party last night, and
seeing ours securely tied by their legs to trees, asked by what
spells we had secured them; and would not believe our assurance
that the ropes that bound them were all the medicines we knew of.
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