surprised we dared
venture into his premises without permission from the king. After this,
we called at the palace, just as the king was returning from a walk with
his brothers. He saw us, and sent for Bana. We entered, and presented
him with some pictures, which he greatly admired, looked at close and
far, showed to the brothers, and inspected again. Pokino at this
time came in with a number of well-made shields, and presented them
grovelling and n'yanzigging; but though the governor of an important
province, who had not been seen by the king for years, he was taken
no more notice of than any common Mkungu. A plan of the lake and Nile,
which I brought with me to explain our projects for reaching Karague and
Gani, engaged the king's attention for a while; but still he would not
agree to let anything be done until the messenger returned from Unyoro.
Finding him inflexible, I proposed sending a letter, arranging that his
men should be under the guidance of my men after they pass Unyoro on the
way to Gani; and this was acceded to, provided I should write a letter
to Petherick by the morrow. I then tried to teach the king the use of
the compass. To make a stand for it, I turned a drum on its head, when
all the courtiers flew at me as if to prevent an outrage, and the king
laughed. I found that, as the instrument was supposed to be a magic
charm of very wonderful powers, my meddling with it and treating it as
an ordinary movable was considered a kind of sacrilege.

7th.--I wrote a letter to Petherick, but the promised Wakungu never came
for it. As K'yengo was ordered to attend court with Rumanika's hongo,
consisting of a few wires, small beads, and a cloth I gave him, as well
as a trifle from Nnanji, I sent Bombay, in place of going myself, to
remind the king of his promises for the Wakungu to Gani, as well as for
boats to Karague, but a grunt was the only reply which my messenger said
he obtained.

8th.--Calling at the palace, I found the king issuing for a walk,
and joined him, when he suddenly turned round in the rudest manner,
re-entered his palace, and left me to go home without speaking a word.
The capricious creature then reissued, and, finding me gone, inquired
after me, presuming I ought to have waited for him.

9th.--During the night, when sleeping profoundly, some person stealthily
entered my hut and ran off with a box of bullets towards the palace, but
on the way dropped his burden. Maula, on the way home, hap