I Thought This Necessary, As Every Report That
Arrived From Unyamuezi Only Told Us Of Further Disasters With The
Merchants In That Country.
Sheikh Said was there even then, with
my poor Hottentots, unable to convey my post to the coast.
8th to 10th. - At last we heard the familiar sound of the Uganda
drum. Maula, a royal officer, with a large escort of smartly-
dressed men, women, and boys, leading their dogs and playing
their reeds, announced to our straining ears the welcome
intelligence that their king had sent them to call us.
N'yamgundu, who had seen us in Usui, had marched on to inform the
king of our advance and desire to see him; and he, intensely
delighted at the prospect of having white men for his guests,
desired no time should be lost in our coming on. Maula told us
that his officers had orders to supply us with everything we
wanted whilst passing through his country, and that there would
be nothing to pay.
One thing only now embarrassed me - Grant was worse, without hope
of recovery for at least one or two months. This large body of
Waganda could not be kept waiting. To get on as fast as possible
was the only chance of ever bringing the journey to a successful
issue; so, unable to help myself, with great remorse at another
separation, on the following day I consigned my companion, with
several Wanguana, to the care of my friend Rumanika. I then
separated ten loads of beads and thirty copper wires for my
expenses in Uganda; wrote a letter to Petherick, which I gave to
Baraka; and gave him and his companion beads to last as money for
six months, and also a present both for Kamrasi and the Gani
chief.
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