eller; ordered him and his party away, and bade me
draw near.

The moment of triumph had come at last, and suddenly the road was
granted! The king presently let us see the motive by which he had been
influenced. He said he did not like having to send to Rumanika for
everything: he wanted his visitors to come to him direct; moreover,
Rumanika had sent him a message to the effect that we were not to be
shown anything out of Uganda, and when we had done with it, were to be
returned to him. Rumanika, indeed! who cared about Rumanika? Was not
Mtesa the king of the country, to do as he liked? and we all laughed.
Then the king, swelling with pride, asked me whom I liked best--Rumanika
or himself,--an awkward question, which I disposed of by saying I liked
Rumanika very much because he spoke well, and was very communicative;
but I also liked Mtesa, because his habits were much like my own--fond
of shooting and roaming about; whilst he had learned so many things from
my teaching, I must ever feel a yearning towards him.

With much satisfaction I felt that my business was now done; for Budja
was appointed to escort us to Unyoro, and Jumba to prepare us boats,
that we might go all the way to Kamrasi's by water. Viarungi made a
petition, on Rumanika's behalf, for an army of Waganda to go to Karague,
and fight the refractory brother, Rogero; but this was refused, on the
plea that the whole army was out fighting at the present moment. The
court then broke up and we went home.

To keep the king up to the mark, and seal our passage, in the evening I
took a Lancaster rifle, with ammunition, and the iron chair he formerly
asked for, as a parting present, to the palace, but did not find him, as
he had gone out shooting with his brothers.

4th.--Grant and I now called together on the king to present the rifle,
chair, and ammunition, as we could not thank him in words sufficiently
for the favour he had done us in granting the road through Unyoro. I
said the parting gift was not half as much as I should like to have been
able to give; but we hoped, on reaching Gani, to send Petherick up to
him with everything that he could desire. We regretted we had no more
powder or shot, as what was intended, and actually placed out expressly
to be presented on this occasion, was stolen. The king looked hard at
his head page, who was once sent to get these very things now given, and
then turning the subject adroitly, asked me how many cows and women I