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same time, his caravan attacked, plundered, and his men driven to the winds, whilst marching through M'yonga's country to join his sick companion.

At length Grant joined on the 26th of September, and the two perplexed, worried, sick, and plundered travellers were enabled to have a good laugh at all their misfortunes. As, however, they had only men enough to remove half their property when Speke was able to make a fresh start of it, Grant had once more to be left behind to bring up the remainder. These forced separations must have been all the more painful, as Speke says that he was at that time a most miserable spectre in appearance, puffing and blowing at each step he took, with shoulder drooping and left arm paralysed and hanging like a dead log. Luckily, Grant having obtained some men, he was enabled to follow soon afterwards, and together they arrived at Ugombé, where they were subjected to the usual extortionate demands of the chief, and in crossing hence into the district of Wanga, only went, according to Speke's own expression, "out of the frying-pan into the fire."

At length, on the 21st of October, they reached Usui, a region which lies in the same parallel as the extreme southerly extension of the Victoria Nyanza, but nearly a hundred miles to the westward of it. The men who had been sent by the chief of this country to bring them up, now, however, turned against them, and demanded their pay before they would allow them to move one step farther. Again, on crossing a hill called Nyakasenyé, the party were ordered to stop by a huge body of men, and they were detained there for several days before they could arrange the terms for being allowed to proceed any farther. Thieving was at the same time carried on to such an extent that Speke was obliged to give orders to his men to shoot such as were caught in the act, and the consequence was that two plunderers were shot dead and two others wounded. One of these robbers, too, was a magician, who considered himself to be invulnerable. At last the "confounded hongo" was paid, and the party once more went tripping over the hills, until they were brought up by demands for another hongo in the Uthunga Valley, and where they established their camp in the neighbourhood of Suwarora's palace. Luckily, provisions were abundant here, and were hawked about by the people, who wore a very neat skin kilt strapped round the waist. They were, in fact, in a better country, and among a better class of people, with Abyssinian blood in them, but the system of hongos practised towards the Arab merchants was in as full force as anywhere, and the ministers insisted upon receiving their dues before they would even open conference with Suwarora as to the extent of the hongo which was to satisfy him. The expedition came first in contact here with men from Uganda, and they were enabled to forward presents to King Mtesa. One of these men expressed great surprise that the expedition had come all this way round to Uganda, when the road by the Masai country, that is to the east of the lake, was so much shorter-an important hint to future explorers. Almost all that is wanted now is just this little trip, for it seems almost impossible to attach credit to the information obtained by Speke from the Arabs-that there are no rivers on the eastern side of the lake or of that of Baringo, when we have the mountains Kilima-njaro and Kenia in the same direction. If Petherick, instead of loitering at Khartum till he had to go overland to his trading depôt at N'yambara, west of the Nile, had come up to

Uganda, or on the northern end of Victoria Nyanza, Speke himself says he would have endeavoured to have reached Zanzibar via the Masai country, and he would thus have settled almost the whole question of the Nile. Nothing, indeed, would have remained to determine, save how far the westerly affluents to the Bahr el Ghazel have their sources from those of the Benuwé and the Shari-the one flowing into the Niger and the other into Lake Tchad-and to ascertain if Lakes Luta Nzigé, Rusizi, and Tanganyika, are connected together, and if the latter and Rukwe join the Nyassa and the Zambesi.

The expedition was detained a fortnight at Usui palace ere the obnoxious question of tribute could be finally settled:

All this time nothing but confusion reigned in camp, khambi fighting against khambi. Both men and women got drunk, whilst from outside we were tormented by the Wasui, both men and women pertinaciously pressing into our hut, watching us eat, and begging in the most shameless manner. They did not know the word bakhshish, or present; but, as bad as the Egyptians, they held our their hands, patted their bellies, and said Kaniwani (my friend), until we were sick of the sound of that word. Still it was impossible to dislike these simple creatures altogether, they were such perfect children. If we threw water at them to drive them away, they came back again, thinking it fun.

Add to these trifling inconveniences, a fearful row broke out between two of the leaders, Bombay and Baraka, as they were called, and who, jealous of each other, were perpetually involved in most unseemly quarrels, which on this occasion were aggravated to an extraordinary degree by their both wishing to wed the same ebony beauty. Bombay, disappointed of his African Helen, consoled himself by taking another wife, on credit, promising to pay on his way back, or to return the wife!

Men were now appointed to attend upon the expedition, nominally as guides and protectors, but really to watch over them, as dangerous wizards and objects of terror. In this country there were cairns to which every passer-by contributed a stone, a curious extension of a practice dating from the most remote antiquity, and obtaining in so many regions. The very first day of their start they were pounced upon by a deputation of officers from a petty chief, demanding the usual dues, but still they rattled as merry as larks" through a fine forest, crossing the first tributary to the Victoria Nyanza they had met with, and which they described in these tropical regions "of most inviting aspect for a trout fisher." The valley of this rivulet was clothed with fine trees and a luxuriant vegetation, amongst which the pretty pandana palm was conspicuous, amid rich gardens of plantains; whilst thistles of extraordinary size and wild indigo were the more common weeds.

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The 17th of November, 1861, was a day of relief and happiness, for the expedition left Usui and entered Karague, and an officer soon made his appearance from Rumanika, the king, to welcome the strangers; and what is more, professed that no taxes were to be levied, presents only were to be exchanged, and the village officers were to supply the whole party with food at the king's expense. Luckily, Grant shot here a rhinoceros, which anticipated this high-sounding hospitality.

They were now travelling through the country that intervened between Victoria Nyanza and Luéru lo Urigi, or "Little Windermere," as Speke calls it, and all the traditions of the natives pointed to the greater portion of the country having been formerly under water; the valleys, so many

creeks from the great lake; and the hills, so many chains of islands. They now met also with a great variety of game, and on several occasions the rhinoceros were so numerous and impudent as to contest the right of way with them. The next valley they came to (Uthenga) was bound in by steep hills, "as prettily clothed as the mountains of Scotland," whilst in the valley itself there were not only magnificent trees of extraordinary height, but also a surprising amount of the richest cultivation, amongst which the banana prevailed. It was from this latter plant that the people who alone seemed poor in so splendid a country, and dwelt in small squalid huts-made their pombé, or mariva, which is described as being "a delicious kind of wine." Needless to say that guides and followers partook of it plentifully whenever they could, and got boisterous and riotous, whilst the drummers and fifers of Rumanika's guard kept them alive by the way.

On the 25th of November the party arrived at King Rumanika's palace, situated in a clump of trees, not far from the beautiful Little Windermere Lake; and whilst a salute of honour was fired on their part, "tobacco as sweet and strong as honey-dew, and beer so strong that it required a strong man to drink it," were served out as a royal largesse. The king was in a great hurry to see his visitors, so no sooner these first ceremonials over than they were introduced:

Here, as we entered, we saw sitting cross-legged on the ground Rumaniką the king, and his brother Nnanaji, both of them men of noble appearance and size. The king was plainly dressed in an Arab's black choga, and wore, for ornament, dress stockings of rich-coloured beads, and neatly-worked wristlets of copper. Nnanaji, being a doctor of very high pretensions, in addition to a check cloth wrapped round him, was covered with charms. At their sides lay huge pipes of black clay. In their rear, squatting quiet as mice, were all the king's sons, some six or seven lads, who wore leather middle-coverings, and little dream-charms tied under their chins. The first greetings of the king, delivered in good Kisuahili, were warm and affecting, and in an instant we both felt and saw we were in the company of men who were as unlike as they could be to the common order of the natives of the surrounding districts. They had fine oval faces, large eyes, and high noses, denoting the best blood of Abyssinia. Having shaken hands in true English style, which is the peculiar custom of the men of this country, the ever-smiling Rumanika begged us to be seated on the ground opposite to him, and at once wished to know what we thought of Karague, for it had struck him his mountains were the finest in the world; and the lake, too, did we not admire it? Then laughing, he inquired-for he knew all the storywhat we thought of Suwarora, and the reception we had met with in Usui. When this was explained to him, I showed him that it was for the interest of bis own kingdom to keep a check on Suwarora, whose exorbitant taxations prevented the Arabs from coming to see him, and bringing things from all parts of the world.

No sooner was the first reception over, than the expedition having selected a pleasant camping-place overlooking Little Windermere, Speke was seen sitting in an iron chair, and the news having spread to the palace, he was forthwith summoned to exhibit himself seated on his "throne." Nor was the hospitality of this poor benighted African king nominal. Goats and fowls were brought daily into camp, excellent beer and milk were also provided; and this kind of treatment went on for a month. The only drawback was, that there was not sufficient grain and plantains, and that the coast-men found it cold.

In the afternoon, as I had heard from Musa that the wives of the king and princes were fattened to such an extent that they could not stand upright, I paid my respects to Wazezeru, the king's eldest brother-who, having been born before his father ascended his throne, did not come in the line of successionwith the hope of being able to see for myself the truth of the story. There was no mistake about it. On entering the hut I found the old man and his chief wife sitting side by side on a bench of earth strewed over with grass, and partitioned like stalls for sleeping apartments, whilst in front of them were placed numerous wooden pots of milk, and, hanging from the poles that supported the beehive-shaped hut, a large collection of bows six feet in length, whilst below them were tied an even larger collection of spears, intermixed with a goodly assortment of heavy-headed assagés. I was struck with no small surprise at the way he received me, as well as with the extraordinary dimensions, yet pleasing beauty, of the immoderately fat fair one his wife. She could not rise; and so large were her arms that, between the joints, the flesh hung down like large, loose-stuffed puddings. Then in came their children, all models of the Abyssinian type of beauty, and as polite in their manners as thorough-bred gentlemen. They had heard of my picture-books from the king, and all wished to see them; which they no sooner did, to their infinite delight, especially when they recognised any of the animals, than the subject was turned by my inquiring what they did with so many milk-pots. This was easily explained by Wazezeru himself, who, pointing to his wife, said, "This is all the product of those pots: from early youth upwards we keep those pots to their mouths, as it is the fashion at court to have very fat wives."

Speke's means- -that is to say his beads and copper wire-were daily diminishing; and no sooner at King Rumanika's, than he took steps towards getting on to the more powerful monarch of Uganda. But here a delay of a month was marked out at the onset; for, according to the etiquette of the country, a messenger had to be sent to Mtesa to inform him of their intention to visit him, with Rumanika's favourable report of them.

Time passed pleasantly enough during this long delay. The king's band played occasionally; the men got drunk; geographical information regarding the Lake and the Mountains of the Moon were collected, and discussed by the Englishmen; the natives touted for presents, with variations of hippopotamus and rhinoceros-shooting; a beautiful new water-antelope-the representative of the antelope of Ngami-was obtained from Little Windermere; and above all, the habits and manners, customs and superstitions of the people, were carefully observed and noted down. The only and that a most serious-drawback to the pleasures of this stay with Rumanika, was Grant's sad illness. So close was he to breathing his last sigh in these remote regions, that as with Speke previously, nothing but strength of constitution could have carried him through his trials.

It was under these adverse circumstances, and when false intelligence that Petherick was really on his road up the Nile to meet them, had come to cheer them up, that the sound of the Uganda drum was heard, and a royal officer arrived with a large escort of smartly-dressed men, women, and boys, leading their dogs and playing their reeds (can anything be more pastoral?), to announce that the King of Uganda was awaiting his guests. It was impossible for Grant to go, so once more Speke had to proceed on his way without him, intending to return to his sick friend, if he should prove unable to join him; for at that time, unless Petherick

came up the King of Uganda being at war with the chief of UnyoroSpeke did not expect to get farther north than that country.

We are favoured on entering into Uganda, the most powerful state remaining of the ancient but now divided kingdom of Kittara, with a very interesting sketch of the ethnology of this newly-discovered part of Africa-whose inhabitants, collectively styled Wahuma, Speke decides to he Gallas, or Abyssinians, and not negroes, and of the semi-ShemHamitic race of Ethiopians. The Wahuma are, in fact, to the Victoria Nyanza region what the Gallas are to the regions intervening between that country and Abyssinia to the Abyssinians strictly speaking; only, unfortunately, while the two last-mentioned races have for the major part embraced a kind of Christianity, the Wahumas are plunged in utter religious darkness. King Rumanika, for example, had, we are told, no idea of a God or of a future state, but as he sacrificed at his father's grave, we should doubt if he was deprived of that instinct of a future condition which has scarcely yet ever been found absent in the most benighted savage.

On entering Uganda, the Waganda, beating drums and blowing whistles and drinking pombé, lead the way to a ferry on Kitangulé River -Speke's great discovery-in which he takes a justifiable pride, but on which occasion he also takes the opportunity of speaking most contemptuously of all those who have previously attempted to solve this great puzzle of all ages:

Once over, I looked down on the noble stream with considerable pride. About eighty yards broad, it was sunk down a considerable depth below the surface of the land, like a huge canal, and is so deep it could not be poled by the canoemen, while it runs at a velocity of from three to four knots an hour.

I

say I viewed it with pride, because I had formed my judgment of its being fed from high-seated springs in the Mountains of the Moon solely on scientific geographical reasonings; and, from the bulk of the stream, I also believed those mountains must attain an altitude of eight thousand feet or more, just as we find they do in Ruanda. I thought then to myself, as I did at Rumanika's, when I first viewed the Mfumbiro cones, and gathered all my distant geographical information there, that these highly-saturated Mountains of the Moon give birth to the Congo as well as to the Nile, and also to the Shiré branch of the Zambézé.

I came, at the same time, to the conclusion that all our previous information concerning the hydrography of these regions, as well as the Mountains of the Moon, originated with the ancient Hindus, who told it to the priests of the Nile; and that all those busy Egyptian geographers, who disseminated their knowledge with a view to be famous for their long-sightedness, in solving the deep-seated mystery which enshrouded the source of their holy river, were so many hypothetical humbugs.

It was not to be expected that Speke, with a vast mass of matter collected, and a long narrative of travel and adventure to relate, and that within a brief space of time-for there can be no doubt he wrote under the pressure of his publishers-could have entered into the discussion of the many hypotheses of previous travellers and geographers; many of these, as the "triuned lake Nyassa" and the Tanganyika theories of some, the grand curve of the Uma or Jub, and the French tricolor flag planted at its sources by others, had really nothing to do with the discovery, except in so far as the existence of several lakes instead of one was concerned, and the ascents made of the White Nile, had paved the way to further exploration. But still a graceful word might have been

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