nquire after the state of the king's health. The reply was,
that the medicine had not taken, and the king was very angry because
nothing was given him when he took the trouble to call on us. He never
called at a big man's house and left it mwiko (empty-handed) before; if
there was nothing else to dispose of, could Bana not have given him a
bag of beads?

To save us from this kind of incessant annoyance, I now thought it would
be our best policy to mount the high horse and bully him. Accordingly,
we tied up a bag of the commonest mixed beads, added the king's
chronometer, and sent them to Kamrasi with a violent message that we
were thoroughly disgusted with all that had happened; the beads were for
the poor beggar who came to our house yesterday, not to see us, but to
beg; and as we did not desire the acquaintance of beggars, we had made
up our minds never to call again, nor receive any more bread or wine
from the king.

This appeared to be a hit. Kamrasi, evidently taken aback, said, if he
thought he should have offended us by begging, he would not have begged.
He was not a poor man, for he had many cows, but he was a beggar,
of course, when beads were in the question; and, having unwittingly
offended, as he desired our friendship, he trusted his offence would
be forgiven. On opening the chronometer, he again wrenched back the
seconds-hand, and sent it for repair, together with two pots of pombe
as a peace-offering. Frij, who accompanied the deputation, overheard the
counsellors tell their king that the Waganda were on their way back to
Unyoro to snatch us away; on hearing which the king asked his men if
they would ever permit it; and, handling his spear as if for battle,
said at the same time he would lose his own head before they should
touch his guests. Then, turning to Frij, he said, "What would you do
if they came?--go back with them?" To which Frij said, "No, never, when
Gani is so near; they might cut our heads off, but that is all they
could do." The watch being by this time repaired, it gave me the
opportunity of sending Kidgwiga back to the palace to say we trusted
Kamrasi would allow Budja to come here, if only with one woman to carry
his pombe, else Mtesa would take offence, form an alliance with Rionga,
and surround the place with warriors, for it was not becoming in great
kings to treat civil messengers like dogs.

The reply to this was, that Kamrasi was very much pleased with my
fatherly wisdom and adv