ovelty everywhere; and I noticed that my
gorgeous trappings seemed to produce a profound effect upon the people,
who now saluted me with the utmost reverence, the fact being--although I
did not know it at the time--that I was dressed in the uniform of a
general of the Bandokolo army. I found the wagon all right, and the
remnant of my team of oxen luxuriating in the rich pasture by the margin
of the lake; while as for Piet, Jan, and 'Ngulubi, they had plenty to
eat and no work to do, and were therefore perfectly happy. But 'Mfuni,
who had developed a most extraordinary devotion to me, gloomily informed
me that the country and the people were "'mkulu 'mtagati", and that he
did not at all approve of my being housed in the palace, surrounded by
strangers, and with him miles away and quite unable to watch over my
welfare. Upon hearing which, I comforted the poor fellow as well as I
could by assuring him that I was not in the slightest danger, that the
arrangement was merely temporary, and that at the first opportunity I
would endeavour to persuade the queen to allow him to come to the palace
as my personal attendant.

Upon my return to the palace I was informed by Langila that the queen
was in her apartment, and had given instructions that, upon my return, I
was to be conducted into her presence, that she might personally express
her satisfaction at my arrival in the country; therefore I at once
proceeded to bathe, and, when I was ready, desired Langila to announce
me. I had not far to go, for the royal apartments were situated, it
appeared, in the wing of the palace opposite to my own, just on the
other side of the grand staircase; and in a few minutes I found myself
in the royal presence.

The room in which Queen Bimbane received me was a superb apartment,
magnificently decorated with elaborately carved columns supporting a
kind of groined roof, the walls being draped with splendid tapestry
worked on silk in gold thread, and hung with several enormous mirrors of
polished silver in massive gold frames--brackets supporting clusters of
lamps on either side of each. The stone floor was covered with fine
grass matting worked in a very tasteful pattern with different-coloured
grasses; and at the far end of the room was a divan that looked as
though made of solid gold, upholstered in embroidered silk. Upon this
divan reclined a diminutive figure entirely shrouded in white silk
draperies, so that only the two eyes could be