We entered, and
presented him with some pictures, which he greatly admired,
looked at close and far, showed to the brothers, and inspected
again.
Pokino at this time came in with a number of well-made
shields, and presented them grovelling and n'yanzigging; but
though the governor of an important province, who had not been
seen by the king for years, he was taken no more notice of than
any common Mkungu. A plan of the lake and Nile, which I brought
with me to explain our projects for reaching Karague and Gani,
engaged the king's attention for a while; but still he would not
agree to let anything be done until the messenger returned from
Unyoro. Finding him inflexible, I proposed sending a letter,
arranging that his men should be under the guidance of my men
after they pass Unyoro on the way to Gani; and this was acceded
to, provided I should write a letter to Petherick by the morrow.
I then tried to teach the king the use of the compass. To make a
stand for it, I turned a drum on its head, when all the courtiers
flew at me as if to prevent an outrage, and the king laughed. I
found that, as the instrument was supposed to be a magic charm of
very wonderful powers, my meddling with it and treating it as an
ordinary movable was considered a kind of sacrilege.
7th. - I wrote a letter to Petherick, but the promised Wakungu
never came for it. As K'yengo was ordered to attend court with
Rumanika's hongo, consisting of a few wires, small beads, and a
cloth I gave him, as well as a trifle from Nnanji, I sent Bombay,
in place of going myself, to remind the king of his promises for
the Wakungu to Gani, as well as for boats to Karague, but a grunt
was the only reply which my messenger said he obtained.
8th. - Calling at the palace, I found the king issuing for a walk,
and joined him, when he suddenly turned round in the rudest
manner, re-entered his palace, and left me to go home without
speaking a word. The capricious creature then reissued, and,
finding me gone, inquired after me, presuming I ought to have
waited for him.
9th. - During the night, when sleeping profoundly, some person
stealthily entered my hut and ran off with a box of bullets
towards the palace, but on the way dropped his burden. Maula, on
the way home, happening to see it, and knowing it to be mine,
brought it back again. I stayed at home, not feeling well.
10th. - K'yengo paid his hongo in wire to the king, and received a
return of six cows. Still at home, an invalid, I received a
visit from Meri, who seemed to have quite recovered herself.
Speaking of her present quarters, she said she loved Uledi's wife
very much, thinking birds of a feather ought to live together.
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