died; and when they came the
second time, three more died; and as this rate of mortality was quite
unusual in his family circle, he could only attribute it to foul magic.
The presence of people who brought such results was of course by no
means desirable. This neat message elicited with a declaration of the
necessity of Budja's going to Gani with us, and a response from the
commander-in-chief, probably to terrify the Waganda, that although Gani
was only nine days' journey distant from Kamrasi's palace, the Gani
people were such barbarians, they would call a straight-haired man a
magician, and any person who tied his mbugu in a knot upon his shoulder,
or had a full set of teeth as the Waganda have, would be surely killed
by them. Finally, we must wait two days, to see if Kamrasi would see us
or not. Such was Unyoro diplomacy.

An announcement of a different kind immediately followed. The king had
heard that I gave a cow to Vittagura and Kidgwiga when they first came
to me in Uganda, and wished the Wanyamuezi to ascertain if this was
true. Of course, I said they were my guests in Uganda, and if they had
been wise they would have eaten their cow on the spot; what was that to
Kamrasi? It was a pity he did not treat us as well who have come into
his country at his own invitation, instead of keeping us starving in
this gloomy wilderness, without a drop of pombe to cheer the day;--why
could not he let us go on? He wanted first to hear if the big Mzungu,
meaning myself, had really come yet. All fudge!

Three days were spent in simply waiting for return messages on both
sides, and more might have been lost in the same way, only we
amused Vittagura and gave him confidence by showing our pictures,
looking-glass, scissors, knives, etc., when he promised a march in the
morning, leaving a man behind to bring on the Wanguana sent to Mtesa's,
it being the only alternative which would please Budja; for he said
there was no security for life in Unyoro, where every Mkungu calls
himself the biggest man, and no true hospitality is to be found.

The next two days took us through Chagamoyo to Kiratosi, by the aid
of the compass; for the route Kamrasi's men took differed from the one
which Budja knew, and he declared the Wanyoro were leading us into
a trap, and would not be convinced we were going on all right till I
pulled out the compass and confirmed the Wanyoro. We were anything but
welcomed at Kiratosi, the people asking by what bad lu