who were all squatting on the ground outside, forming two groups.
His men dared not advance upright, but, stooping, with lowered head and
averted eyes, came cringing after him, it being a high crime to look
upon the ladies of the court. It was difficult, however, to carry on
conversation with him, as every answer had to be passed through the
interpreter, and then delivered to the king's chief officer, and
frequently another question was asked before the first was answered.
The most important questions had reference to opening up a passage
across the country. Before Speke could explain his views, the king put
another question.

Mtesa was a perfect despot and tyrant, the lives of all his subjects,
from the highest to the lowest, being in his power. When the whim
seized him, he did not hesitate to kill as many as he chose.

The king's subjects approach in the most cringing attitudes, and, on
receiving any favour, throw themselves on the ground, floundering about,
shrieking out: "_Nynzig! nynzig_!" He is attended by a number of young
pages, with rope turbans on their heads, who are seen rushing about in
every direction to obey his behests, and directly a wife or courtier
offends the despot, rush upon the unhappy individuals and drag them off
to immediate execution.

Speke, however, won his favour by blistering and doctoring him. He
managed to keep up his own dignity by refusing to submit when improperly
treated. He also gained great credit with the monarch by exhibiting his
skill as a sportsman; and Mtesa was delighted to find that after a
little practice he himself could kill birds and animals. He did not,
however, confine himself to shooting at the brute creation, but
occasionally killed a man or woman who might have been found guilty of
some crime.

After a considerable lapse of time Speke obtained a residence at what
was looked upon as the "west end" of the city. It was in a garden, in
view of the palace, so that he could hear the constant music and see the
throngs of people going to and fro. Having selected the best hut for
himself, and giving the other to his three officers, he ordered his men
to build barracks for themselves in the form of a street from his hut to
the main road. He could now visit the palace with more ease, and
obtained better opportunities of seeing the king and endeavouring to
gain the important ends he had in view.

The sights he witnessed were very often painful. Scarcely a day p