ed and
Lieutenant Speke was made prisoner and desperately wounded, but,
springing to his feet just as a robber was about to run him through with
his spear, he knocked over his assailant with his hands, though bound
together, and made his escape to the sea-shore, to which the rest of the
party had already fled. They were here taken on board a vessel, which
had providentially put in the day before, and in her returned to Aden.

Although his first expedition had terminated so disastrously, on his
arrival in England Lieutenant Speke again volunteered to accompany
Lieutenant Burton on an expedition to survey that part of the centre of
Africa, in the neighbourhood of the Mountains of the Moon, where an
enormous lake was supposed to exist, equal in size to the Caspian Sea.

Returning to Bombay, Lieutenant Speke and Lieutenant Burton obtained
their outfit, and set sail on the 3rd of December, 1856, for Zanzibar,
on board the HEIC sloop of war, "Elphinstone."

At Zanzibar they were warmly welcomed by the consul, Colonel Hamerton,
and well received by the Sultan Majid, who, from his intelligence and
good disposition, appeared likely to be a favourite with his people.

As they had arrived during the dry season, they were unable to commence
their journey, and some time was spent in visiting different parts of
the coast.

Their intention was to proceed to Ujiji, on the shores of Lake
Tanganyika, which was then supposed to be the southern end of the great
central lake. They engaged as their _kafila bashi_, or head of their
caravan, a well-disposed man, Sheikh Said. A body of the sultan's
Belooch soldiers, under a _jemadar_, or officer, and a party of slaves
armed with muskets, formed their escort. Besides them, they had their
private servants, Valentine and Gaetano, Goa men, who spoke Hindostanee,
and a clever little liberated black slave, Bombay by name, who had been
captured from his native place, Uhiyou, to the east of Lake Nyanza, and
sold to an Arab merchant, by whom he was taken to India. Having served
this master for several years, on his death he obtained his liberation,
and made his way to Zanzibar. Here he took service in the army of the
sultan, and was among those engaged by Lieutenant Speke. He was a
remarkably quick, clever, honest little fellow, and in most instances
could thoroughly be trusted.

Crossing to Kaole, on the mainland, on the 16th of June, 1857, they were
detained there collecting baggage anima