the queen has assured me her
door would always be open to me! I shall leave this court at once, and
I solemnly swear I shall never set foot in it again, unless some apology
be made for treating me like a dog." Then, returning home, I tied up all
the presents her majesty had given me in a bundle, and calling Maula and
my men together, told them to take them where they came from; for it
ill became me to keep tokens of friendship when no friendship existed
between us. I came to make friends with the queen, not to trade or take
things from her--and so forth. The blackguard Maula, laughing, said,
"Bana does not know what he is doing; it is a heinous offence in Uganda
sending presents back; nobody for their lives dare do so to the queen;
her wrath would know no bounds. She will say, 'I took a few trifles from
Bana as specimens of his country, but they shall all go back, and the
things the king has received shall go back also, for we are all of one
family'; and then won't Bana be very sorry? Moreover, Wakungu will be
killed by dozens, and lamentations will reign throughout the court to
propitiate the devils who brought such disasters on them." Bombay, also
in a fright, said, "Pray don't do so; you don't know these savages as
we do; there is no knowing what will happen; it may defeat our journey
altogether. Further, we have had no food these four days, because row
succeeds row. If we steal, you flog us; and if we ask the Waganda
for food, they beat us. We don't know what to do." I was imperative,
however, and said, "Maula must take back these things in the morning, or
stand the consequences." In fact, I found that, like the organ-grinders
in London, to get myself moved on I must make myself troublesome.

17th.--The queen's presents were taken back by Maula and Nasib, whilst I
went to see the Kamraviona. Even this gentleman kept me waiting for some
time to show his own importance, and then admitted me into one of his
interior courts, where I found him sitting on the ground with several
elders; whilst Wasoga minstrels played on their lap-harps, and sang
songs in praise of their king, and the noble stranger who wore fine
clothes and eclipsed all previous visitors. At first, on my approach,
the haughty young chief, very handsome, and twenty years of age, did not
raise his head; then he begged me to be seated, and even enquired
after my health, in a listless, condescending kind of manner, as if the
exertion of talking was too much fo