and he no sooner
heard it than he said, with ecstasies, "I will open Africa, since the
white men desire it; for did not Dagara command us to show deference to
strangers?" Then, turning to me, he added, "My only regret is, you will
not take something as a return for the great expenses you have been put
to in coming to visit me." The expense was admitted, for I had now been
obliged to purchase from the Arabs upwards of L400 worth of beads, to
keep such a store in reserve for my return from Uganda as would enable
me to push on to Gondokoro. I thought this necessary, as every report
that arrived from Unyamuezi only told us of further disasters with the
merchants in that country. Sheikh Said was there even then, with my poor
Hottentots, unable to convey my post to the coast.

8th to 10th.--At last we heard the familiar sound of the Uganda drum.
Maula, a royal officer, with a large escort of smartly-dressed men,
women, and boys, leading their dogs and playing their reeds, announced
to our straining ears the welcome intelligence that their king had sent
them to call us. N'yamgundu, who had seen us in Usui, had marched on to
inform the king of our advance and desire to see him; and he, intensely
delighted at the prospect of having white men for his guests, desired
no time should be lost in our coming on. Maula told us that his officers
had orders to supply us with everything we wanted whilst passing through
his country, and that there would be nothing to pay.

One thing only now embarrassed me--Grant was worse, without hope of
recovery for at least one or two months. This large body of Waganda
could not be kept waiting. To get on as fast as possible was the only
chance of ever bringing the journey to a successful issue; so, unable to
help myself, with great remorse at another separation, on the following
day I consigned my companion, with several Wanguana, to the care of my
friend Rumanika. I then separated ten loads of beads and thirty copper
wires for my expenses in Uganda; wrote a letter to Petherick, which I
gave to Baraka; and gave him and his companion beads to last as money
for six months, and also a present both for Kamrasi and the Gani chief.
To Nsangez I gave charge of my collections in natural history, and the
reports of my progress, addressed to the Geographical Society, which he
was to convey to Sheikh Said at Kaze, for conveyance as far as Zanzibar.

This business concluded in camp, I started my men and went to t