ountry, nothing would do so.

Kamrasi, in a very quiet, mild manner, instead of answering the
questions, told us of the absurd stories which he had heard from the
Waganda, said he did not believe them, else his rivers, deprived of
their fountains, would have run dry; and he thought, if we did eat hills
and the tender parts of mankind, we should have had enough to satisfy
our appetites before we reached Unyoro. Now, however, he was glad to
see that, although our hair was straight and our faces white, we still
possessed hands and feel like other men.

The present was then opened, and everything in turn placed upon the red
blanket. The goggles created some mirth; so did the scissors, as Bombay,
to show their use, clipped his beard, and the lucifers were considered a
wonder; but the king scarcely moved or uttered any remarks till all
was over, when, at the instigation of the courtiers, my chronometer
was asked for and shown. This wonderful instrument, said the officers
(mistaking it for my compass), was the magic horn by which the white men
found their way everywhere. Kamrasi said he must have it, for, besides
it, the gun was the only thing new to him. The chronometer, however,
I said, was the only one left, and could not possibly be parted with;
though, if Kamrasi liked to send men to Gani, a new one could be
obtained for him.

Then, changing the subject, much to my relief, Kamrasi asked Bombay,
"Who governs England?" "A woman." "Has she any children?" "Yes," said
Bombay, with ready impudence; "these are two of them" (pointing to Grant
and myself). That settled, Kamrasi wished to know if we had any specked
cows, or cows of any peculiar colour, and would we like to change four
large cows for four small ones, as he coveted some of ours. This was a
staggerer. We had totally failed, then, in conveying to this stupid king
the impression that we were not mere traders, ready to bargain with him.
We would present him with cows if we had such as he wanted, but we could
not bargain. The meeting then broke up in the same chilling manner as it
began, and we returned as we came, but no sooner reached home than four
pots of pombe were sent us, with a hope that we had arrived all safely.
The present gave great satisfaction. The Wanguana accused Frij of having
"unclean hands," because the beef had not lasted so long as it should
do--it being a notable fact in Mussulman creed, that unless the man's
hands are pure who cuts the throat of a