As For My Going To The
Palace, It Was Out Of The Question, As I Had Been Repeatedly
Before Told The King, Unless It Pleased Him To Give Me A Fitting
Residence Near Himself.
In order now that full weight should be
given to my expressions, I sent Bombay with the quinine to
The
king, in company with the boys, to give an account of all that
had happened; and further, to say I felt exceedingly distressed I
could not go to see him constantly - that I was ashamed of my
domicile - the sun was hot to walk in; and when I went to the
palace, his officers in waiting always kept me waiting like a
servant - a matter hurtful to my honour and dignity. It now
rested with himself to remove these obstacles. Everybody
concerned in this matter left for the palace but Maula, who said
he must stop in camp to look after Bana. Bombay no sooner
arrived in the palace, and saw the king upon his throne, than
Mtesa asked him why he came? "By the instructions of Bana," was
his reply - "for Bana cannot walk in the sun; no white man of the
sultan's breed can do so."
Hearing this, the king rose in a huff, without deigning to reply,
and busied himself in another court. Bombay, still sitting,
waited for hours till quite tired, when he sent a boy in to say
he had not delivered half my message; he had brought medicine for
the queen, and as yet he had no reply for Bana.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 405 of 767
Words from 111394 to 111653
of 210958
