ng I might have an early interview with his majesty, as I had
much of importance to communicate; but the solemn court formalities
which these African kings affect as much as Oriental emperors, precluded
my message from reaching the king. I heard, however, that he had spent
the day receiving Suwarora's hongo of wire, and that the officer who
brought them was made to sit in an empty court, whilst the king sat
behind a screen, never deigning to show his majestic person. I was told,
too, that he opened conversation by demanding to know how it happened
that Suwarora became possessed of the wires, for they were made by
the white men to be given to himself, and Suwarora must therefore have
robbed me of them; and it was by such practices he, Mtesa, never could
see any visitors. The officer's reply was, Suwarora would not show the
white men any respect, because they were wizards would did not sleep in
houses at night, but flew up to the tops of hills, and practised sorcery
of every abominable kind. The king to this retorted, in a truly African
fashion, "That's a lie; I can see no harm in this white man; and if
he had been a bad man, Rumanika would not have sent him on to me." At
night, when in bed, the king sent his pages to say, if I desired his
friendship I would lend him one musket to make up six with what I had
given him, for he intended visiting his relations the following morning.
I sent three, feeling that nothing would be lost by being "open-handed."

22d.--To-day the king went the round of his relations, showing the
beautiful things given him by the white man--a clear proof that he was
much favoured by the "spirits," for neither his father nor any of his
forefathers had been so recognised and distinguished by any "sign" as
a rightful inheritor to the Uganda throne: an anti-Christian
interpretation of omens, as rife in these dark regions now as it was
in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. At midnight the three muskets were
returned, and I was so pleased with the young king's promptitude and
honesty, I begged he would accept them.

23d.--At noon Mtesa sent his pages to invite me to his palace. I went,
with my guard of honour and my stool, but found I had to sit waiting
in an ante-hut three hours with his commander-in-chief and other
high officers before he was ready to see me. During this time Wasoga
minstrels, playing on tambira, and accompanied by boys playing on a
harmonicon, kept us amused; and a small page, with a larg