congratulate us
in the morning, jumping, jabbering, and shaking their spears at us,
denoting a victory gained--for we had shot Wanyoro and no harm had
befallen us. "But the road," I cried, "has that been gained? I am not
going to show my back. We must go again, for there is some mistake;
Grant is with Kamrasi, and N'yamyongo cannot stop us. If you won't go
in boats, let us go by land to N'yamyongo's, and the boats will follow
after." Not a soul, however, would stir. N'yamyongo was described as an
independent chief, who listened to Kamrasi only when he liked. He did
not like strange eyes to see his secret lodges on the N'yanza; and if
he did not wish us to go down the river, Kamrasi's orders would go for
nothing. His men had now been shot; to go within his reach would be
certain death. Argument was useless, boating slow, to send messages
worse; so I gave in, turned my back on the Nile, and the following day
(16th) came on the Luajerri.

Here, to my intense surprise, I heard that Grant's camp was not far off,
on its return from Kamrasi's. I could not, rather would not, believe it,
suspicious as it now appeared after my reverse. The men, however,
were positive, and advised my going to king Mtesa's--a ridiculous
proposition, at once rejected; for I had yet to receive Kamrasi's answer
to our Queen, about opening a trade with England. I must ascertain
why he despised Englishmen without speaking with them, and I could not
believe Kamrasi would prove less avaricious than either Rumanika or
Mtesa, especially as Rumanika had made himself responsible for our
actions. We slept that night near Kari, the Waganda eating two goats
which had been drowned in the Luajerri; and the messenger-page, having
been a third time to the palace and back again, called to ask after our
welfare, on behalf of his king, and remind us about the gun and brandy
promised.

17th and 18th.--The two following days were spent wandering about
without guides, trying to keep the track Grant had taken after leaving
us, crossing at first a line of small hills, then traversing grass and
jungle, like the dak of India. Plantain-gardens were frequently met, and
the people seemed very hospitably inclined, though they complained sadly
of the pages rudely rushing into every hut, seizing everything they
could lay their hands on, and even eating the food which they had just
prepared for their own dinners, saying, in a mournful manner, "If it
were not out of respect for you