SEND IN SEARCH OF SPEKE.

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now our prisoner, would never be given up. What a mode of coercion! But ever since Budja has had charge of affairs he has shown very great tact, doing his duty most conscientiously. His defences, in comparison with the slovenly ones put up here by the Seedees, really seem erected with the eye of a general. He is very proud of his position, will not associate with his own or my men, neither will he eat meat that has been killed by Mohammedans. All his cattle, I may remark, are killed by a blow on the back of the head.

12th.-Halt. Sent eight Seedees and eight Waganda to inform Speke of my compulsory retreat. They did not know where he was, but had orders not to return without having seen him. They all returned at sunset, giving us a surprise. An officer had told them their errand was useless, for Speke had gone to Kidi, far, far away. Budja was infuriated with his men for being such poltroons as to return; besides, what would his king say if Speke had proceeded to Kidi, where he had no permission to go? He (Budja) had been imprisoned three times by M'tessa, and thought if a fourth offence were committed he certainly would not escape.

After sunset, cries came from Budja's camp, about 200 yards distant. I found that the cries were those of one of his good-looking wives, beaten on mere suspicion for having been outside the house after the sun had set. Such severity to guard the honour of the wives is not unlikely to have a quite opposite effect; and, so far as my observation went, the husbands had no great cause to complain. Adultery is severely punished; mutilation is not uncommon; and

the Wakoongoo, or officers in charge of from fifty to several hundred men, have power to order these punishments, and even to put the offenders to death.

13th.-Halt. Twelve men are sent in search of Speke. A Seedee had fever from bathing after noon, which is thought by them an unhealthy time. Out shooting after "noble buck," with a dozen villagers as guides. The animals were very wild; and the bogs, with a broiling sun overhead, were disagreeable.

14th.-Halt. Fever and ague all night. Frij and all Seedees believe that the Jews, or Yahoodee, living in Calcutta, seize people, and tie them up by the heels till blood falls from them into a dish, when they are released, but rarely survive. The blood so obtained is prepared, and sold as a most valuable chest-complaint medicine called Moomeean. Frij had, while in Calcutta, once been seized, but escaped while the Jew went up a ladder. Also one of his comrades he had seen tied up by the heels, gave evidence to the police, and had the Yahoodee put in prison for eighteen months. These silly stories helped to pass the time.

The cowherd Manua knows his duty thoroughly, for the day he herds the cattle he brings them home full and sleek-looking, being acquainted with the grasses the animals like best-those that are green and succulent, in deep shade. The other herd, not knowing a cow from a horse, drives in the cattle from their grazing as lean in appearance as when they

went out.

We lost three cows some days ago; and Mabruk, who keeps count of them, now stands every night, with his rope in his hand, at the door of the cowfold, passing a knot as each cow goes inside; in this way

COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH SPEKE. 265

he counts easier than by the usual enumeration, and the animals walk in to enjoy the volumes of smoke rising from the fire in the centre of their fold.

15th.-Halt. Feel anxious for news; by noon it came. Speke could not be found; he had gone up the river. The chief Wahuma officer would not give an audience to my Mussulmans, in case the sight of them would make his cows run dry; and men who sat upon chairs before kings-meaning the "white men ”—would not be received in Unyoro.

Shot two guinea-fowl with one bullet, and also two "n'soono," or noble bucks, accidentally with one ball. The second one could not be found, although he went away dangling his broken leg, followed by dogs. I stood in admiration of the villager who, with his spear-head, skinned and cut up the animal into saddle, brisket, leg, and other joints, laying them on the pure leaves of plantain as quietly and cleverly, and with far less mess, than is to be seen at the abattoirs of Paris.

16th.-Halt. The time has arrived for Kamarasi's reply, and none has come. My men all press me to retire. There is not one in the camp who wishes to go the north or Egyptian route; and I long most anxiously for Speke. Here we are, not more than seven days, it is said, from the place where boats lie to take us down the Nile; yet nothing will move those around me to push on. It is most tantalising. I asked Budja to join me in forcing the road, but he could not be induced to leave his country. "Let me then communicate with Captain Speke, wherever he is." It was impossible, as his men had no permission to visit Oogoongoo, on the other side of M'tessa's,

266 KING OF UNYORO PREVENTS OUR ADVANCE.

where my companion was; but if I retired for two marches, and halted there, he would ask leave from his king. In the afternoon he anticipated my wish to ✓ send ten men into Unyoro to demand a reply from Kamarasi. To dispel the anxiety we both felt we went out shooting-Budja having dressed himself very smartly in cow and antelope skins.

At night I assembled all the men to explain our difficulties, and to intimate to them that our rations of butcher - meat must be curtailed, otherwise there would be disgrace and starvation for us. They agreed to my proposals.

17th.-Halt. Having now been twenty-two days without a message from the king, as a last resource I sent a dozen men ahead, carrying some wires as a bribe, to ask why we had received no definite reply. In the mean time I went shooting some distance off, and had a shot at a leucotis buck standing knee-deep in water-the tall grasses almost concealing him. This animal is always to be found in ground of that nature, though he has not the hoofs of a waterboc. Rain commencing, we returned shortly before the sun had set, twenty-five villagers having accompanied us, and been entertained by my burning some powder in the bare palm of my hand. They told me it was no use sending men so often to Kamarasi, as he had determined on not seeing us.

18th.-Halt. My men all return from the Unyoro frontier, bringing back the presents of wire I had sent. The district officer said, "How can I receive these gifts if the king, my master, refuses to see the white man?" and he added, that if I stayed ten years where I was the road would not be open to me. So.

OUR CAMPS UNITED ONCE MORE.

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after a dismal day, I determined-having been attempting this route since the 26th ult.-not to stay a moment longer, but to make search for Speke, whom we had heard nothing of for thirty days, and to try the route to Unyoro vid Karague.

19th.-Marched eight miles south, crossing a bog five hundred yards wide, and knee-deep, and camping on the second crest of land beyond it. No sooner settled down than Bombay and three Seedees arrive with a note from Speke, who had that morning reached the ground we passed! I at once walked joyfully over to his camp. He had gone out shooting. His servants were got up like M'tessa's pages-heads all shaved, except cockade-like tufts left to grow above each ear, giving them a knowing look. In the absence of their master they gave me a cordial greeting. I waited in the camp till Speke arrived, and I need not attempt to describe our joy at meeting once more.

III. OUR CAMPS UNITED.

Each of us had met with a reverse. But Speke had accomplished his object, and seen the first cataract of the Nile at the point where it flows from the Victoria Nyanza. He had been attended by only a dozen Seedees under Bombay, himself a host, and a few Waganda. Our further plans could not now be decided upon without a conference with Budja. It was proposed, if everything else failed, to induce M'tessa, by enormous bribes, to give a thousand men, and with this force try the Kilimanjaro route to the east coast.

20th.-Return to my yesterday's ground along with Speke. Having discussed whether we could again send messengers into Unyoro, the plan was considered