he dirty nature of the people. The king's
cows, even, are kept in the palace enclosure, the calves actually
entering the hut, where, like a farmer, Kamrasi walks amongst them up to
his ankles in filth, and, inspecting them, issues his orders concerning
them. What has to be selected for his guests he singles out himself.

Dr K'yengo's men, who had been sent three times into action against the
refractory brothers, asked leave to return to Karague; but the king,
who did not fear for their lives when his work was to be done, would not
give them leave, lest accident should befall them on the way. We found
no prejudice against eating butter amongst these Wahuma, for they not
only sold us some, but mixed it with porridge and ate it themselves.

29th.--The king has appointed a special officer to keep our table
supplied with sweet potatoes, and sent us a pot of pombe, with his
excuses for not seeing us, as business was so pressing, and would
continue to be so until the army marched. Budja and Kasoro were again
reported to be near with a force of fifty Waganda, prepared to snatch us
away; and the king, fearing the consequences, had sent to inform Budja,
that if he dared attempt to approach, he would slip us off in boats to
Gani, and then fight it out with the Waganda; for his guests, since
they had been handed over to him, had been treated with every possible
respect.

To keep Kamrasi to his promise, as we particularly wished to hear the
Uganda news, Frij was sent to inform him on my behalf that Mtesa only
wished to make friends with all the great kings surrounding his country
before his coronation took place, when his brothers would be burnt, and
he would cease to take advice from his mother. To treat his messengers
disrespectfully could do no good, and might provoke a war, when we
should see my deserters joined with the Waganda really coming in force
against us; whereas, if we saw Budja, we could satisfy him, and Mtesa
too, and obviate any such calamity. The reply was, that Kamrasi would
arrange for our having a meeting with Budja alone if we wished it; he
did not fear my deserters siding with king Mtesa, but he detested the
Waganda, and could not bear to see them in his country.

30th.--At breakfast-time we heard that my old friend Kasoro had come to
our camp without permission, to the surprise of everybody, attended by
all his boys, leaving Budja and his children, on account of sickness, at
the camp assigned to the Waganda