ant, if it was ever so little, for she was entitled to it, and would
not listen to our being one house. Turning the subject, to put in a word
for my great object, I asked her to use her influence in opening the
road to Gani, as, after all, that was the best way to get new things
into Uganda. Cunning as a fox, the queen agreed to this project,
provided Grant remained behind, for she had not seen enough of him yet,
and she would speak to her son about the matter in the morning.

This was really the first gleam of hope, and I set to putting our future
operations into a shape that might lead to practical results without
alarming our capricious host. I thought that whilst I could be employed
in inspecting the river, and in feeling the route by water to Gani,
Grant could return to Karague by water, bringing up our rear traps, and,
in navigating the lake, obtain the information he had been frustrated in
getting by the machinations of his attendant Maribu. It was agreed to,
and all seemed well; for there was much left to be done in Uganda and
Usoga, if we could only make sure of communicating once with Petherick.
Before going home we had some more polite conversation, during which the
queen played with a toy in the shape of a cocoa du mer, studded all
over with cowries: this was a sort of doll, or symbol of a baby and her
dandling it was held to indicate that she would ever remain a widow. In
the evening the king returned all our rifles and guns, with a request
for one of them; as also for the iron chair he sat upon when calling on
us, an iron bedstead, and the Union Jack, for he did not honour us with
a visit for nothing; and the head page was sent to witness the transfer
of the goods, and see there was no humbug about it. It was absolutely
necessary to get into a rage, and tell the head page we did not come to
Uganda to be swindled in that manner, and he might tell the king I would
not part with one of them.

2d.--K'yengo, who came with Grant, now tried to obtain an interview with
the king, but could not get admission. I had some further trouble about
the disposal of the child Meri, who said she never before had lived in
a poor man's house since she was born. I thought to content her by
offering to marry her to one of Rumanika's sons, a prince of her own
breed, but she would not listen to the proposal.

3d.--For days past, streams of men have been carrying faggots of
firewood, clean-cut timber, into the palaces of the king,