ual
pertinacious duplicity of a negro, then said, "Well, let that subject
drop, and consider the present Kamrasi promised you when you gave him
the Uganga" (meaning the watch); "Kamrasi's horn is not ready yet." This
second prevarication completely set my dander up. If I did not believe
in his dangers of the way before, it quite settled my opinion of the
worth of his words now. I therefore tendered him what might be called
the ultimatum to this effect. There was no sincerity in such haggling;
I would not submit to being told lies by kings or anybody else. He must
take back the spears, or give us the road to-morrow; and unless the
Kamraviona would tell him this and bring me an answer at once, the
spears should not remain in my house during the night. Evidently in
alarm, the Kamraviona, with Kidgwiga and Frij in company to bear him
witness, returned to the palace, telling Kamrasi that he saw we were
in thorough earnest. He extracted a promise that Kamrasi would have
a farewell meeting with us either to-morrow or the next day, when we
should have a large escort to Petherick's boats, and the men would be
able to bring back anything that he wanted; but he could not let us go
without a parting interview, such as we had at Uganda with Mtesa.

The deputation, delighted with their success and the manner in which
it was effected, hurried back to me at once, and said they were so
frightened themselves that they would have skulked away to their homes
and not come near me if they could not have arranged matters to my
satisfaction. Kamrasi would not believe I had threatened to turn out his
spears until Frij testified to their statements; and he then said, "Let
Bana keep the spears and drink the pombe, for I would not wish him to be
a prisoner against his will." Bombay, after taking back the dwarf, met
one of N'yamasore's officers, just arrived from Uganda on some
important business, and upbraided Mtesa for not having carried out my
instructions. The officer in turn tried to defend Mtesa's conduct by
saying he had given the deserters seventy cows and four women, as well
as orders to join us quickly; but they had been delayed on the road,
because wherever they went they plundered, and no one liked their
company. Had we returned to Uganda, Mtesa would have given us the road
through Masai, which, in my opinion, is nearer for us than this one.

This officer had been wishing to see us as much as we had been to see
him; but Kamrasi would n