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PROSPECT OF ADVANCING.

impracticable, as the natives had threatened us. Besides, we did not know what impression had been produced by the fight on the Nile with Speke's men, ✓ where several of the natives were killed. Probably their king was enraged at this disaster. In our difficulty we are saved by the arrival of Kamarasi's facto✓tum, who brings us an invitation from his king. The relief and delight experienced at the moment were inexpressible everything had happened for the best. We had evidently been on trial, closely watched, and, most probably, the fact of our having been so submissive obtained for us the royal favour. The king had ordered that our Waganda escort should quit us as soon as we entered the Unyoro territory. They refused to obey, thinking the order was insulting to them; but I considered it a very wise policy, as they are such a wild plundering race, and apt to quarrel.

On the march I struck a zebra with a bullet, which made him, curiously enough, rear twice in the air. A second ball did not take effect, but he separated from other three, and went away limping through the long grasses, which hid him from our view.

21st.-Halt. Something stops the way. We cannot move as we should, but in Africa no one ever can. Budja distrusts the Wanyoro, and does not want to give us up to them. The Seedees get up a complaint, refusing to march because they have not enough of powder; they observe the Waganda leaving their heavy baggage here, and suspect treachery on the part of Kamarasi, who is said to be enraged at having his 1 men killed on the Nile by Speke's party. All this was a mere pretence, and they were distinctly told that they might go back to Karague if they chose,

WE MARCH NORTH-SHOOT A BUCK.

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but their guns must be surrendered. Their cool reply was that they would talk it over in the morning, treating the matter as if time were of no value.

22d.-Hurrah! we march again some miles nearer England, and encamp on the northern boundary of Uganda. Seventeen of the mutineer Seedees delivered up their guns, their names were noted, ammunition was served out, and they had the guns returned-a very simple expedient, accomplished without any further misunderstanding.

Went shooting in a swamp. My first shot was at a leucotis buck, but he bounded away untouched. Again we came upon him lying immersed in water, all but his noble head. On being alarmed he stood for a shot, which penetrated both shoulder-blades, and lodged under the off-skin. Budja was in such ecstasy that he jumped through the water up to him, with all his lads following. A Seedee got well butted before he could cut the buck's throat; but after the Waganda had talked and laughed over the powers of my rifle, eight of them raised the animal with the greatest care out of the water, preventing his beautiful skin from being soiled, and placed him upon a bed of clean grass, where he was left to be cut up à la Waganda. Budja's eyes glistened when told that he might have the skin; there was no end to his "nyans, nyans,' thanks, &c. We heard elephants screeching and trumpeting near some acacias to the far north, but my Waganda dreaded going within sight of them, and stole away home. We could not find them, but during the night heard their musical cry as they browsed in the moonlight.

Between the 23d August and 2d September we only

270

MARCHING IN UNYORO.

made four marches, but fortunately they were all in the right direction. The country waved in gentle long swells of land covered with tall grass and thin forest, with a few low conical hills. The clearances for cultivation, generally fenced against wild animals, were few; and in the low grounds sweet potato, ooleyzee, and a few plantain were grown. The houses

were of grass, perfect domes, but dirty, ill-made, and without door-screens or frames to their single entrances. The people, as we marched past, appeared inanimate and unconcerned; they stood listlessly gazing at us, so different from the reception given to a regiment passing through an English town, when every handkerchief waves a welcome. The natives deliberately carried away everything out of their houses and allowed us to take possession, but at the same time showed sullenness at our intrusion. Our Waganda did not mind this. Wherever they go they know how to enjoy themselves, living always like a party of jolly brigands, by plunder. Numbers of natives came out to see the Wazoongoo, and never having seen boxes before, they believed that the white men were carried in our japanned tin cases!

The

The Wanyoro would seem to be penurious. cowries which circulated amongst them were generally covered with earth, as if they had been hoarded up, and kept concealed under ground. This coin had reached them through Karague; and Kidjweega, an officer not more than thirty-five years of age, recollected the time when ten cowries bought a cow, and thirty secured a woman. Times have changed. It now takes half a load to purchase a cow. Here, at the division between the commerce coming up the

BROTHERHOOD AMONGST THE WANYORO.

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Nile and that of the east coast of Africa, beads were little used, and cloth and coinage were unknown. But Kamarasi had received, four years previously (reckoning five months to the year), some beads from the traders on the Nile, and it is to be hoped that, the road having once been opened, trade and civilisation may advance. The natives manufactured ornaments of ivory for the wrists and ankles. These, and rings, were split at one part, not formed in entire unbroken circles, probably for the reason that they could be slipped on more easily by being divided. The price of their smallest ring was twenty-five cowrie-shells, which I considered expensive. They had also spearblades, two spans long and two inches at their greatest breadth. The Waganda purchased several of them at five hundred cowries each, and one cow would buy ten, or bark-cloth would be taken in exchange. While here a good deal of business was done, the natives purchasing meat from our men; but if any butter had been used in cooking it, they would reject it as food. Men and women wore anklets made of hair covered with twisted brass, iron, or copper wire.

Manua made brotherhood with the officer Kidjweega, as he had done with Bombay at Ukuni, but after a different fashion. A Wanyoro made a slight incision to the right above Manua's navel. His blood was tasted by Kidj weega, who had the same done to him by a Seedee, and Manua partook of his blood. These brotherhoods are synonymous with our masonic institutions, and do a great deal of good, as from that time forward friendship is sworn; and I must say that until the last moment these two men remained excellent friends. The work of civilisation may be

272

MORNING DEWS-MESSAGE FROM M'TESSA.

promoted by this means, as the natives have no objection to make brotherhood with Europeans.

We had not much rain during the last week of August. After a shower one morning, upon the space cleared in front of our hut appeared hundreds of white maggots with black heads, curling themselves into an arc, jumping and throwing themselves over the ground as if set upon springs. The morning dews, as we marched in Indian file through grasses higher than and thick as a field of wheat, made everything uncomfortably damp. The Wanyoro, fearful of getting wet, or having their rags of skins and bark-cloths injured, carried in front of them an immense broom made of plantain-leaves to brush the dew off the grass, which they considered injurious to health, causing the itch. At first we could not understand why unclad natives should carry about these besoms, and the sight of so many of them by the side of the path perplexed us.

M'tessa had sent a large party to inquire how we were getting on. Imagining this was all they wanted, we thought they might disperse; but their leader produced four little pieces of wood, saying with emphasis, one was for a double-barrelled gun that would last the king his lifetime; a second was for gun-wads; a third for strengthening medicine; and a fourth for anything the " Bana" (meaning Speke) liked to send. We returned our kindest regards to their king, and told them that all they asked, and even more, would be sent from Ugani should an opportunity ever offer.

A touching incident occurred here. A woman of the village recognised amongst our Seedees her brother,