d drink pombe, which he generously supplied to our
heart's content; wondered at the beauty of Kahala, wished I would give
him a wife like her, and lamented that the king would not allow his
to wear such pretty clothes. We passed on a little farther, and were
invited to sit with another man, Lukanikka, to drink pombe and chew
coffee--which we did as before, meeting with the same remarks; for all
Waganda, instructed by the court, know the art of flattery better than
any people in the world, even including the French.

7th.--In the morning, whilst it rained hard, the king sent to say that
he had started buffalo-shooting, and expected me to join him. After
walking a mile beyond the palace, we found him in a plantain garden,
dressed in imitation of myself, wideawake and all, the perfect picture
of a snob. He sent me a pot of pombe, which I sent home to the women,
and walked off for the shooting-ground, two miles further on, the band
playing in the front, followed by some hundred Wakungu--then the pages,
then the king, next myself, and finally the women--the best in front,
the worst bringing up the rear, with the king's spears and shield, as
also pots of pombe, a luxury the king never moves without. It was easy
to see there would be no sport, still more useless of offer any remarks,
therefore all did as they were bid. The broad road, like all in Uganda,
went straight over hill and dale, the heights covered with high grass
or plantain groves, and the valleys with dense masses of magnificent
forest-trees surrounding swamps covered with tall rushes half bridged.
Proceeding on, as we came to the first water, I commenced flirtations
with Mtesa's women, much to the surprise of the king and every one. The
bridge was broken, as a matter of course; and the logs which composed
it, lying concealed beneath the water, were toed successively by the
leading men, that those who followed should not be tripped up by them.
This favour the king did for me, and I in return for the women behind;
they had never been favoured in their lives with such gallantry, and
therefore could not refrain from laughing, which attracted the king's
notice and set everybody in a giggle; for till now no mortal man had
ever dared communicate with his women.

Shortly after this we left the highway, and, turning westwards, passed
through a dense jungle towards the eastern shores of the Murchison
Creek, cut by runnels and rivulets, where on one occasion I offered, by
d