s an easy prey to the thieving propensities of the
escort. To put a stop to this vile practice was now beyond my power;
the king allowed it, and his men were the first in every house, taking
goats, fowls, skins, mbugus, cowries, beads, drums, spears, tobacco,
pombe,--in short, everything they could lay their hands on--in the most
ruthless manner. It was a perfect marauding campaign for them all, and
all alike were soon laden with as much as they could carry.

A halt of some days had become necessary at Kari to collect the
cows given by the king; and, as it is one of the most extensive
pasture-grounds, I strolled with my rifle (11th) to see what new animals
could be found; but no sooner did I wound a zebra than messengers came
running after me to say Kari, one of my men, had been murdered by the
villagers three miles off; and such was the fact. He, with others of my
men, had been induced to go plundering, with a few boys of the Waganda
escort, to a certain village of potters, as pots were required by Budja
for making plantain-wine, the first thing ever thought of when a camp
is formed. On nearing the place, however, the women of the village, who
were the only people visible, instead of running away, as our braves
expected, commenced hullalooing, and brought out their husbands. Flight
was now the only thought of our men, and all would have escaped had Kari
not been slow and his musket empty. The potters overtook him, and, as he
pointed his gun, which they considered a magic-horn, they speared him
to death, and then fled at once. Our survivors were not long in bringing
the news into camp, when a party went out, and in the evening brought in
the man's corpse and everything belonging to him, for nothing had been
taken.

12th.--To enable me at my leisure to trace up the Nile to its exit from
the lake, and then go on with the journey as quickly as possible, I
wished the cattle to be collected and taken by Budja and some of my men
with the heavy baggage overland to Kamrasi's. Another reason for doing
so was, that I thought it advisable Kamrasi should be forewarned that we
were coming by the water route, lest we should be suspected and stopped
as spies by his officers on the river, or regarded as enemies, which
would provoke a fight. Budja, however, objected to move until a report
of Kari's murder had been forwarded to the king, lest the people,
getting bumptious, should try the same trick again; and Kasoro said he
would not go