e at once, knowing that
this prognosticated evil. There were many other animals, and lucky and
unlucky birds, which all believed in.

I then told him it was fortunate he had no disbelievers like us to
contend with in battle, for we, instead of trusting to luck and such
omens, put our faith only in skill and pluck, which Baraka elucidated
from his military experience in the wars in British India. Lastly, I
explained to him how England formerly was as unenlightened as Africa,
and believing in the same sort of superstitions, and the inhabitants
were all as naked as his skin-wearing Wanyambo; but now, since they had
grown wiser, and saw through such impostures, they were the greatest men
in the world. He said, for the future he would disregard what the Arabs
said, and trust to my doctrines, for without doubt he had never seen
such a wise man as myself; and the Arabs themselves confirmed this when
they told him that all their beads and cloths came from the land of the
Wazungu, or white men.

1st, 2d, and 3d.--The new year was ushered in by the most exciting
intelligence, which drove us half wild with delight, for we fully
believed Mr Petherick was indeed on his road up the Nile, endeavouring
to meet us. It was this:--An officer of Rumanika's, who had been sent
four years before on a mission to Kamrasi, had just then returned with
a party of Kamrasi's who brought ivory for sale to the Arabs at Kufro,
along with a vaunting commission to inform Rumanika that Kamrasi had
foreign visitors as well as himself. They had not actually come into
Unyoro, but were in his dependency, the country of Gani, coming up the
Nile in vessels. They had been attacked by the Gani people, and driven
back with considerable loss both of men and property, although they were
in sailing vessels, and fired guns which even broke down the trees on
the banks. Some of their property had been brought to him, and he in
return had ordered his subjects not to molest them, but allow them to
come on to him. Rumanika enjoyed this news as much as myself, especially
when I told him of Petherick's promise to meet us, just as these men
said he was trying to do; and more especially so, when I told him that
if he would assist me in trying to communicate with Petherick, the
latter would either come here himself, or send one of his men, conveying
a suitable present, whilst I was away in Uganda; and then in the end we
would all go off to Kamrasi's together.

4th.--Entering