He Wished To Give Us A Cow, But Put It Off
For Another Day, And Was Surprised We Dared Venture Into His
Premises Without Permission From The King.
After this, we called
at the palace, just as the king was returning from a walk with
his brothers.
He saw us, and sent for Bana. 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.
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