g time
before she would show herself; and at last, when she came, she flounced
up to her curtain, lay down in a huff, and vented her wrath, holding her
head very high, and wishing to know how I could expect officers, with
large establishments, to be turned out of their homes merely to give me
room for one night; I ought to have been content with my fare; it was no
fault of Maula's. I tried to explain through Nasib, but she called Nasib
a liar, and listened to Maula who told the lies; then asked for her
medicine; drank it, saying it was a small dose; and walked off in ill
humour as she had come. I now made up my mind to sit till 3 p.m., hoping
to see the queen again, whilst talking with some Kidi officers, who,
contrary to the general law of the country, indulged me with some
discourses on geography, from which I gathered, though their stories
were rather confused, that beyond the Asua river, in the Galla country,
there was another lake which was navigated by the inhabitants in very
large vessels; and somewhere in the same neighbourhood there was an
exceedingly high mountain covered with yellow dust, which the natives
collected, etc., etc.

Time was drawing on, and as the queen would not appear of her own
accord, I sent to request a friendly conversation with her before I
left, endeavouring, as well as I could, to persuade her that the want of
cordiality between us was owing to the mistakes of interpreters, who had
not conveyed to her my profound sentiments of devotion. This brought her
gracious corpulence out all smirks and smiles, preceded by a basket
of potatoes for "Bana, my son." I began conversation with a speech of
courtesy, explaining how I had left my brother Grant and my great friend
Rumanika at Karague--hastening, in compliance with the invitation of the
king, to visit him and herself, with the full hope of making friends in
Uganda; but now I had come, I was greatly disappointed; for I neither
saw half enough of their majesties, nor did any of their officers ever
call upon me to converse and pass away the dreary hours. All seemed
highly pleased, and complimented my speech; while the queen, turning to
her officers, said, "If that is the case, I will send these men to you";
whereupon the officers, highly delighted at the prospect of coming to
see me, and its consequence a present, n'yanzigged until I thought their
hands would drop off. Then her majesty to my thorough annoyance, and
before I had finished half I h