e
a residence prepared for him. Speke declined the favour, but sent
Baraka to arrange the _hongo_. Baraka amused himself, as usual, for
some hours, with firing off volleys of ammunition, and it was not till
evening that the palace drums announced that the _hongo_ had been
settled, consisting of six yards of cloth, some beads, and other
articles. On this Speke immediately gave orders to commence the march,
but two cows had been stolen from the caravan, and the men declared that
they would not proceed without getting them back. Speke knew that if he
remained more cloths would be demanded, and as soon as the cows arrived
he shot them and gave them to the villagers. This raised a mutiny among
his men, and the Pig would not show the way, nor would a single porter
lift his load. Speke would not enter the village, and his party
remained, therefore, in the open all night. The next morning, as he
expected, Myonga sent his prime minister, who declared that the ladies
of his court had nothing to cover their nakedness, and that something
more must be paid. This caused fresh difficulties, the drums beat, and
at length, much against his inclination, Speke paid some more yards of
cloth for the sake of Grant, who might otherwise have been annoyed by
the scoundrel.

This is a specimen of some of the lighter difficulties which the
travellers had to encounter on their journey.

Having passed a number of villages, they entered a tract of jungle in
which a stream formed the boundary between the great country of the Moon
and the kingdom of Uzinga.

The district Speke next entered was ruled by two chieftains descended
from Abyssinians. They were as great extortioners, however, as any of
the pure negro race.

The Pig continued his tricks, and the travellers were heavily taxed and
robbed at every step. The porters, too, refused to advance, declaring
that they should be murdered, as the Watuta, their great enemies, were
out on a foray: finally, they ran away and hid themselves. These
Watuta, they said, were desperate fellows, who had invaded their country
and killed their wives and children, and had despoiled them of
everything they held dear. Baraka also showed the white feather.
Speke, however, put on a bold front, and declared that he would return
to Caze and collect men who would not be afraid to accompany him to
Usui. He carried his plan into execution, rejoined Grant, and obtained
two fresh guides, Bui and Nasib, a steady