Bit By Bit, However, I Learned That He First Went
To The Palace, And, Finding The King Had Gone Off Yachting To The
Murchison Creek, He Followed Him There.
The king for a long
while would not believe his tale that I had come, but, being
assured, he danced with delight, and swore he would not taste
food until he had seen me.
"Oh," he said, over and over again
and again, according to my informer, "can this be true? Can the
white man have come all this way to see me? What a strong man he
must be too, to come so quickly! Here are seven cows, four of
them milch ones, as you say he likes milk, which you will give
him; and there are three for yourself for having brought him so
quickly. Now, hurry off as fast as you can, and tell him I am
more delighted at the prospect of seeing him than he can be to
see me. There is no place here fit for his reception. I was on
a pilgrimage which would have kept me here seven days longer but
as I am so impatient to see him, I will go off to my palace at
once, and will send word for him to advance as soon as I arrive
there."
About noon the succeeding day, some pages ran in to say we were
to come along without a moment's delay, as their king had ordered
it. He would not taste food until he saw me, so that everybody
might know what great respect he felt for me.
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