ll, so the trough was employed; and the queen
graced it by drinking, pig-fashion, first, and then handing it round to
the company.

Now, hoping to produce gravity and then to slip away, I asked if my
medicines had given her any relief, that I might give her more to
strengthen her. She said she could not answer that question just yet;
for though the medicine had moved her copiously, as yet she had seen no
snake depart from her. I told her I would give her some strengthening
medicine in the morning: for the present, however, I would take my
leave, as the day was far gone, and the distance home very great; but
though I dragged my body away, my heart would still remain here, for I
loved her much.

This announcement took all by surprise; they looked at me and then at
her, and looked again and laughed, whilst I rose, waved my hat, and
said, "Kua heri, Bibi" (good-bye, madam). On reaching home I found
Maribu, a Mkungu, with a gang of men sent by Mtesa to fetch Grant from
Kitangule by water. He would not take any of my men with him to fetch
the kit from Karague, as Mtesa, he said, had given him orders to find
all the means of transport; so I gave him a letter to Grant, and told
him to look sharp, else Grant would have passed the Kitangule before he
arrived there. "Never mind," says Maribu, "I shall walk to the mouth
of the Katonga, boat it to Sese island, where Mtesa keeps all his large
vessels, and I shall be at Kitangule in a very short time."

4th.--I sent Bombay off to administer quinine to the queen; but the
king's pages, who watched him making for her gateway, hurried up to him,
and turned him back by force. He pleaded earnestly that I would flog
him if he disobeyed my orders, but they would take all the
responsibility--the king had ordered it; and then they, forging a lie,
bade him run back as fast as he could, saying I wanted to see the king,
but could not till his return. In this way poor Bombay returned to me
half-drowned in perspiration. Just then another page hurried in with
orders to bring me to the palace at once, for I had not been there these
four days; and while I was preparing to express the proper amount of
indignation at this unceremonious message, the last impudent page began
rolling like a pig upon my mbugued or carpeted floor, till I stormed and
swore I would turn him out unless he chose to behave more respectfully
before my majesty, for I was no peddling merchant, as he had been
accustomed to see, and