ssible with the medicine-chest.

8th.--Without a morsel to eat for dinner last night, or anything this
morning, we proceeded early to the palace, in great expectation that the
medicines in request would bring us something; but after waiting all day
till 4 p.m., as the king did not appear, leaving Bombay behind, I walked
away to shoot a guinea-fowl within earshot of the palace. The scheme was
successful, for the report of the gun which killed the bird reached the
king's ear, and induced him to say that if Bana was present he would
be glad to see him. This gave Bombay an opportunity of telling all the
facts of the case; which were no sooner heard than the king gave his
starving guests a number of plantains, and vanished at once, taking my
page Lugoi with him, to instruct him in Kisuahili (Zanzibar language).

9th.--As the fruit of last night's scheme, the king sent us four goats
and two cows. In great good-humour I now called on him, and found him
walking about the palace environs with a carbine, looking eagerly for
sport, whilst his pages dragged about five half-dead vultures tied in
a bundle by their legs to a string. "These birds," said he, tossing his
head proudly, "were all shot flying, with iron slugs, as the boys will
tell you. I like the carbine very well, but you must give me a double
smooth gun." This I promised to give when Grant arrived, for his
good-nature in sending so many officers to fetch him.

We next tried for guinea-fowl, as I tell him they are the game the
English delight in; but the day was far spent, and none could be found.
A boy then in attendance was pointed out, as having seen Grant in Uddu
ten days ago. If the statement were true, he must have crossed the
Katonga. But though told with great apparent circumspection, I did
not credit it, because my men sent on the 15th ultimo for a letter to
ascertain his whereabouts had not returned, and they certainly would
have done so had he been so near. To make sure, the king then proposed
sending the boy again with some of my men; but this I objected to as
useless, considering the boy had spoken falsely. Hearing this, the king
looked at the boy and then at the women in turn, to ascertain what they
thought of my opinion, whereupon the boy cried. Late in the evening
the sly little girl Kahala changed her cloth wrapper for a mbugu, and
slipped quietly away. I did not suspect her intention, because of late
she had appeared much more than ordinary happy, behav