a goat, called "fowls
for Bana, my son," and a load of plantains, called potatoes, waiting
for me; so I gave the bearer fundo of mtende beads, and told again the
reasons why I had not been able to call upon the queen, but I hoped
to do so shortly, as the king had promised me a house near at hand. I
doubt, however, whether one word of my message ever reached her. That
she wanted me at her palace was evident by the present, though she was
either too proud or too cautious to say so.

At night I overheard a chat between Sangizo, a Myamuezi, and Ntalo, a
freed man of Zanzibar, very characteristic of their way of chaffing.
Sangizo opened the battle by saying, "Ntalo, who are you?" N. "A Mguana"
(freed man). S. "A Mguana, indeed! then where is your mother?" N. "She
died at Anguja." S. "Your mother died at Anguja! then where is your
father?" N. "He died at Anguja likewise." S. "Well, that is strange; and
where are your brothers and sister?" N. "They all died at Anguja." S.
(then changing the word Anguja for Anguza, says to Ntalo) "I think you
said your mother and father both died at Anguza, did you not?" N. "Yes,
at Anguza." S. "Then you had two mothers and two fathers--one set
died at Anguja, and the other set at Anguza; you are a humbug; I don't
believe you; you are no Mguana, but a slave who has been snatched from
his family, and does not know where any of his family are. Ah! ah!
ah!" And all the men of the camp laugh together at the wretched Ntalo's
defeat; but Ntalo won't be done, so retorts by saying, "Sangizo, you
may laugh at me because I am an orphan, but what are you? you are a
savage--a Mshezi; you come from the Mashenzi, and you wear skins, not
cloths, as men do; so hold your impudent tongue";--and the camp pealed
with merry boisterous laughter again.

9th.--Early in the morning, and whilst I was in bed, the king sent his
pages to request me to visit his royal mother, with some specific for
the itch, with which her majesty was then afflicted. I said I could not
go so far in the sun; I would wait till I received the promised palace
near her. In the meanwhile I prepared to call on him. I observed, in
fact, that I was an object of jealousy between the two courts, and
that, if I acted skilfully and decidedly, I might become master of the
situation, and secure my darling object of a passage northwards. The
boys returned, bringing a pistol to be cleaned, and a message to say
it was no use my thinking of calling on the ki