IhadmadeabroadwalkofredgravelfromKabbaRega’snewdivan，tothegovernmenthouse。Theroadsandapproacheswerefinished，andallneatlylaidwithfreshgravelstampedfirmlydown。ThebordersofallpathsandroadsweresownwiththebestqualityofEgyptiancotton，knowninEgyptasgalleen。Mylargetentwaspitchedbeneathanimmensebanian-tree，closetowhichwasthenewgovernmenthouse。Thisgrand-soundingnamewasgiventoaverysolidconstructionofamostsimplecharacter。Thedivanwasabuildingcontainingonlyoneroomtwenty-eightfeetlongbyfourteenwide，andabouttwentyfeethigh。Itwascarefullythatchedwithoverhangingeaves，whichformedanarrowverandah，anditwasenteredbyacommodiousporch；thiswasarchedinthenativefashion，andwassolargethatitformedalobby，inwhichwesometimesdined。Theinsidewallsofthedivanwereneatlymadewithcanescloselylashedtogether。
Therewasabackdoortothispublicroomwhichcommunicatedwithaseparatehousebyacoveredway。
Thiswasourprivateresidence，whichalsoconsistedofonlyoneroom；
butIhadarrangeditwithextremeneatness，inordertoexcitetheadmirationofKabbaRegaandhischiefs，whowould，Ihoped，imitatethemannersandcustomsofcivilizedlife，andthusimprovetrade。
Theroomwastwenty-fourfeetlongbythirteenwide。Thewallswereasusualmadeofcanes，butthesewerecarefullyhungwithscarletblankets，sewntogetherandstretchedtotheground，soastoformanevensurface。Thefloorwascoveredwithmats。Uponthewallsoppositetoeachother，soastothrowendlessreflection，weretwolargeovalmirrorsgirandolesingiltmetalframes。AphotographofherMajestytheQueenstoodonthetoilettable。
Attheextremeendoftheroomwasaverygoodcolouredprint，nearlylifesize，ofherRoyalHighnessthePrincessofWales。Thescarletwallswerehungwithlargecolouredprints，lifesize，ofverybeautifulwomen，withverygorgeousdresses，allthejewelrybeingimitatedbypiecesofcolouredtinsel。Anumberofsportingprints，verylarge，andalsocoloured，werearrangedinconvenientplacesonthewalls。Therewerefox-huntingscenes，andGermanstag-hunts，togetherwithafewquietlandscapes，thatalwaysrecalledthedearoldcountrynowsofaraway。
Thefurniturewassimpleenough：twoangarebs，orArabstretchers，which，duringtheday，werecoveredwithPersiancarpetsandservedassofas，whileatnighttheywerearrangedasbeds。Thetablesweremadeofsquaremetalboxespiledoneupontheotherandcoveredwithbrightbluecloths。Thesewerearrangedwithallkindsofoddtrinketsofgaudyappearance，butoflittlevalue，whichwereintendedtobeaskedfor，andgivenaway。Twonativestoolscuriouslycutoutofasolidblockformedourchairs。ThegunsandriflesstoodinarowagainstarackcoveredwithredTurkeycloth；andalargeGenevamusicalboxlayuponatablebeneaththePrincessofWales。
Altogethertheroomwasexceedinglypretty。ItwouldhavebeenvulgarifinEngland；butitwasbeautifullyclean，anditshortlybecamethewonderofCentralAfrica。
IhadbroughtthelargegiltmirrorsfromEnglandspeciallyforM’tese，thekingofUganda，andforKamrasi。Iknewthatiftheywerearrangedinmyownhouse，thenewswouldbecarriedtoM’teseimmediately；andthefactofsogreatacuriosityandtreasurebeingontheroadtohimwouldatonceopenacommunication。
On8thMay，theprisonersofSuleiman’scompany，numberingtwenty-fivepersons，cametothedivan，headedbyAliGenninar，andsupplicatedforgiveness。Theyalldeclaredtheirdesiretoberegisteredonthegovernmentbooksasirregulartroops。
Ihadalreadywitnessedanexampleoftheirduplicity，thereforeIhadnoconfidenceintheirprofessions，butatthesametimeIdidnotknowwhattodowiththem。Thefactoftheirbeingincustodyrequiredtwentysoldierstorelievethenecessaryguards。Ithereforedeterminedtobemagnanimous，asIwasonlytoohappytoberidofsuchbadbargainsshouldtheyrunaway。TheonlymanthatItrustedwasAliGenninar；hewasacleverandpluckyfellowthatIhadknowninmyformerAfricanjourney，atwhichtimehebelongedtothecompanyofIbrahim。
AfteragoodlectureIforgavethem，andtheyallreceivedtheirserkiscertificatesasmembersoftheirregularcorps。AliGenninarwastohavetherankoflieutenant。
ItoldthemthatitwasmyintentiontohoisttheOttomanflag，andtoofficiallyannexthecountryinthepresenceofKabbaRegaandhispeople，thereforeIdidnotwishanysubjectsoftheKhedivetobeindisgraceuponsuchanoccasion，exceptingonlySuleiman，whowouldbesenttoCairoonthefirstopportunity，toanswerforthemurderoftheprisoneratFoweera。Ithereforedividedafewpoundsofbeadsamongthemforthepurchaseofnewbark-cloths，asIcouldnotallowthemtoappearintheirdirtyclothesonthedayoftheceremony。
Theyallwentawayrejoicing，andswearingfidelity，atthesametimeconfessingtheirsins，andvowingthatIhadtreatedthembetterthantheyhaddeserved。
Asusual，ourproceedingswerenarrowlywatchedbytheguardsstationedatKabbaRega’snewdivan，withinfiftyyardsofmyhouse。ThesespiesimmediatelyranofftotheirmasterwiththereportthatIhadforgiventheslave-hunterswhowerelatelyprisoners，andthatIhadactuallymadethempresentsofbeads。AtthattimeIhadnottheslightestideathattheliberationoftheprisonerswouldexcitesuspicioninthemindsofKabbaRegaandhispeople，buttherecanbenodoubtthatthisactofclemencyonmypartdestroyedtheconfidencewhichhadpreviouslyexisted。
Thisreportwasquicklyconfirmed，asthenewanddirtymembersoftheirregularcorps，whowerenowatliberty，presentedthemselvesinthetownwiththeirhandsfullofbeadstopurchasethenecessarybark-cloths。Theseclothsarepreparedfromthebarkofaspeciesoffig-treeinaverysimplemanner，whichIhavepersonallywitnessed。
Apieceofbarkaboutsixfeetlong，andaswideaspossible，isdetachedfromthetrunkofthetree。Theoutsiderindisparedoffbyalance-headusedwithtwohands，likeacooper’sdrawing-knife。Thebarkisthenlaiduponabeamofwoodontheground，onwhichitishammeredwithamalletgroovedinfinecuts，sothattherepeatedblowsstampthebarkwithlinessomewhatresemblingcorduroy。Thishammeringexpandsthebark，whichisrepeatedlyturnedandhammeredagain，untilatlengthitisbeatenintoaclothofratherfinetexture。Theactionoftheaircoloursthematerial，which，althoughwhitewhenfirststrippedfromthetree，quicklyassumesadelicateshadeofbrown，asasliceofanappleoxydizesuponexposureinourownclimate。
Thefinestclothsareornamentedwithpatternsinblack。Thesearesimplyproducedbydrawingthedesignwithwaterfromironsprings，whichcombiningwiththetanninofthebarkimmediatelystainsit。
Thesheetsofbark-clotharefrequentlydyedthiscolourbyimmersingthemforashorttimeinspringsofthesamewater。
ThefinestclothsareproducedinUganda，andallthatareusedforroyalweararebroughtfromthatcountryinexchangeforivory。
Mynewmen，thelateslave-hunters，whoIhopedwere”wickedmenthathadturnedawayfromtheirwickedness，”hadsucceededinpurchasingaquantityofnewclothsreadyforthedayofannexation。
Thatnight，ataboutnineo’clock，justbeforeweweregoingtobed，wehadremarkedanextraordinarystillnessinthetownofMasindi。Therewasnotawhispertobeheardthroughoutthecapital，wheregenerallythenightwaspassedintheuproarofdrunkensingingandblowingofhorns。
Suddenlythisextraordinarysilencewasbrokenbythedeepnotesofanogaraordrum。Thissoundedforasecondortwo，andceased。Againallwasstillasdeath。
Asuddenburstofhellishnoise，suchasIhaveneverheardbeforeorsince，nowstartledeverysoldiertohisfeet，andwithoutorders，everymanarmedandfellintoposition！
ColonelAbd-el-Kader，withhisswordbeltedonandarifleinhishand，cametomeforordersontheinstant。Theever-readyMonsoorwasarmedandbymyside。
Inthemeantimethedinofverymanythousandscontinued，yellingandshriekingasthoughmaniacs；Ishouldimaginethatatleastathousanddrumswerebeating，innumerablehornswereblowing，withwhistles，fifes，andeveryinstrumentthatwouldaddtothehorribleuproar。
Atthesametimenotahumanbeingwasvisible。
Mohammed，thedragoman，appeared，togetherwithUmbogo。Inreplytomyquestionastothecauseofsuchasuddenirruptionofnoise，Umbogolaughed，andsaiditwas”TOMAKEMEAFRAID，andtoexhibitthegreatnumbersofpeoplethatwerecollectedatMasindi。”
Thiswasall。Ithereforeatonceorderedthebandtoplay，asI
determinedtoacceptthecarefullyplannedsurpriseasacomplimentthatIwouldreturn。
Thebandstruckup，thecymbalsclashed，thebigdrumthundered，andthebuglersblewtheirloudest，whiletheregimentaldrumsrattledawayashardasthestickscouldrollupontheskins。
Inashorttimethenoiseofthetownceased，andtheonlysoundwasoccasionedbyourownband。
Iorderedthemtoceaseplaying。Oncemoretherewasperfectstillness。
Iorderedthesentriestokeepasharplook-out，andweallwenttobed。
Thiswasapracticaljokethatdidnotpleaseme，asitsmackedofdistrustanddefiance。IttookplaceonthesamedayuponwhichIhadliberatedtheslave-hunter’speople，andengagedthemasirregulartroops。
OnthefollowingmorningIsentseveralmessengerstoKabbaRegatobeghimtopaymeavisit。Theyallreturned，somesayingthathewasasleep——others，thathewasdrunk。Itwastheusualhabitofthisyoungmantogetverydrunkeverynight，andtosleepuntilabout2p。m。，whenhedressedandattendedathispublicdivan。
InowheardthatnativemessengershadarrivedfromthecountryofFaieera，whichformedoneofthedistrictswithinninemilesofFatiko，underthechargeofthegreatsheik，RotJarma，whohadswornallegiancetothegovernment，andwasundertheprotectionofMajorAbdullah。
ThesemessengershadbroughtsomegunsandammunitiontoselltoKabbaRega。Theywishedparticularlytoseeme，astheyhadimportantnews。
Whentheyappearedinthedivan，IatoncerecognizedthemaspeoplethatIhadseenatFatiko。
Theyinformedmethatsincemydeparture，AbouSaoodandhispeoplehadridiculedtheauthorityofmycommandant，MajorAbdullah；andtoprovetothenativeshowpowerlesshewastoprotectthem，AbouSaoodhadsenthismentoattackRotJarma，andtheyhadcarriedoffhiscattleandslaves。
ThemessengersdeclaredthatbothRotJarmaandallthenativesweredelightedwithMajorAbdullahandhistroops，astheywereverydifferentfromtheslave-hunters，butthelatterweretoonumerousandstrongforAbdullahtocontendagainst。
ItoldthemthatAbdullahwasonlywaitingfororders；butifsuchwasthestateofthings”whyhadhenotwrittenaletterbythisopportunity?”
Thenativesassertedthattheslave-huntersofAbouSaoodhadlostfiveoftheirparty，killedintheattackuponRotJarma；thereforetheythemessengerswereafraidtogonearthestationofMajorAbdullah。Theyhadaccordinglytravelledfasttobringmethenews160miles，atthesametimetheybroughtthegunsforsaletoKabbaRega。
Itwastheoldstoryofdeceptionandrebellion。BeforemyfaceAbouSaoodwouldcringetotheearth，buthebecameanopenrebelinmyabsence。Itwasabsolutelynecessarytoplacethismanunderarrest。
WhentheBariswereatopenwarwiththegovernment，hehadnotonlyassociatedwiththeirchief，buthehadarmedpartiesofthesenativeswithmuskets，whichheemployedinhiszareebas。
Henowattacked，indefianceofgovernmentprotection，thosefriendlynativesofFaieerawhohadbecomepeaceablesubjectsoftheKhedive。