ed with his
appearance, and so were my men, though no one could speak to him but
Nasib, who told us he knew him before. He was the brother of the dowager
queen of Uganda, and, along with a proper body of officers, he had been
sent by Mtesa, the present king of Uganda, to demand the daughter of
Suwarora, as reports had reached his king that she was surprisingly
beautiful. They had been here more than a year, during which time this
beautiful virgin had died; and now Suwarora, fearful of the great king's
wrath, consequent on his procrastinations, was endeavouring to make
amends for it, by sending, instead of his daughter, a suitable tribute
in wires. I thought it not wonderful that we should be fleeced.

Next day (2d) Sirhid paid us a visit, and said he was the first man in
the state. He certainly was a nice-looking young man, with a good deal
of the Wahuma blood in him. Flashily dressed in coloured cloths and a
turban, he sat down in one of our chairs as if he had been accustomed to
such a seat all his life, and spoke with great suavity. I explained our
difficulties as those of great men in misfortune; and, after listening
to our tale, he said he would tell Suwarora of the way we had been
plundered, and impress upon him to deal lightly with us. I said I had
brought with me a few articles of European manufacture for Suwarora,
which I hoped would be accepted if I presented them, for they were
such things as only great men like his chief every possessed. One was a
five-barrelled pistol, another a large block-in box, and so fourth; but
after looking at them, and seeing the pistol fired, he said; "No; you
must not shew these things at first, or the Mkama might get frightened,
thinking them magic. I might lose my head for presuming to offer them,
and then there is no knowing what might happen afterwards." "Then can I
not see him at once and pay my respects, for I have come a great way to
obtain that pleasure?" "No," said Sirhid, "I will see him first; for he
is not a man like myself, but requires to be well assured before he sees
anybody." "Then why did he invite me here!" "He heard that Makaka, and
afterwards Lumeresi, had stopped your progress; and as he wished to see
what you were like, he ordered me to send some men to you, which, as you
know, I did twice. He wishes to see you, but does not like doing things
in a hurry. Superstition, you know, preys on these men's minds who have
not seen the world like you and myself." Sirhi