Heonlywentoutdaily，atacertaintime，tocollectsubscriptionsforthepayofhisbelovedrascals，thebonosoora；butthisledhimthroughthetownintheoppositedirectiontoourcamp，thereforeweneversawhim。
Thecollectionofalmswasamostundignifiedproceeding。Atthehourofhisexitfromhishouse，abandoffifesorflageoletsstruckupapeculiarairwhichwaswellknownasthesignalforpreparingtopayfortheking’svisit。Thefewnotestheyplayedwasamonotonousrepetitionof：——
Ashispipesplayedbeforehim，KabbaRegacalledatanyhousesthathethoughtpropertoselect，andreceivedfromtheinmatesofeach，afewcowrieshells，whichareusedasthesmallestcoininUnyoro。Theseshellswereafterwardsdividedamonghisbonosooraastheirdailypay。
Mystationhadnotbeenarrangedfordefence，asIconsideredthathostilitiesinthiscountrycouldnotbepossible。Althoughblackhumannatureisthedarkestshadeofcharacter，InevercouldhavebelievedthatevenKabbaRegacouldhaveharbouredtreacherousdesignsagainstus，afterthebenefitsthatbothheandhispeoplehadreceivedfromme。
Thecountryhadbeenrelievedfromtheslave-hunters，andmypeoplewereactuallyontheroadtoFatikotoliberateandrestoretotheirfamiliesabout1，000womenandchildrenofUnyoro。Iwasabouttoestablishaschool。Notheftshadtakenplaceonthepartofthetroops。Therightsofeverynativehadbeenrespected。Thechiefshadreceivedvaluablepresents，andthepeoplehadalreadyfelttheadvantageoflegitimatetrade。
Atthesametimethathostilityappearedimpossible，Icouldnotblindmyselftothefactofthelatedemonstration；itwouldthereforebeabsolutelynecessarytoconstructasmallfort，forthesecurityoftheammunitionandeffects，whichcouldnolongerbeexposedinsimplestrawhuts，withoutprotection。
Iexplainedthisnecessitytomyofficersandmen，allofwhomwerekeenlyalivetotheevilspiritofKabbaRega，fromwhomtheyexpectedfuturemischief。
Thismiserableyoungfellowwasnearlyalwaysdrunk；histimewaspassedinsuckingplantainciderthroughareed，untilhebecamethoroughlyintoxicated。Wewere，therefore，subjecttoanysuddenorderthathemightgiveinafitofdrunkenness。
Hispeopleobeyedhimimplicitly，withthatfanaticalbeliefthatisheldinUnyororespectingthepersonwhooccupiesthemagicthroneBamba。
Therecouldbenodoubtthathewasoffendedandinsulted：therefore，accordingtotheprincipleinvinoveritas，hemightpluckupcouragetosurpriseuswhenleastexpected。
Ideterminedtobuildafortimmediately。
Idrewaplanofacircularstockade，surroundedbyaditchandearthenparapet。Theditchtenfeetwidebysevendeep。Thediameterfromscarptoscarp，sixtyfeet；diameterofinnercircularcourt，thirty-sixfeet。
WiththeassistanceofLieutenantBakerIdrewtheplanontheground，andmytroopssettoworkwiththatvigourwhichalwaysdistinguishedthem。
Therewerenumerouslargetreesofthefigtribeintheimmediateneighbourhood。Thiswoodwasexactlyadaptedforthepurpose，asitwaseasytocut，andatthesametimeitwasundyingwhenonceplantedintheground。Anylogofthebark-clothtreewilltakerootifwatered。
Theaxeswithwhichthemenwereprovidednowcameintoplay，andtheclickingofsomanytoolsatworkatoncesurprisedthenatives。
Rahonka，Kittakara，andotherchiefscametoinquireconcerningourintention。
Iexplainedthenecessityofstoringthegunpowderinafireproofbuilding。Onlyafewdaysagoseveralnativehutshadbeenburnt；suchanaccidentmightendangerourstation，thereforeIshouldconstructanearthenroofoverabuildingofstrongpalisades。Iexplainedthatshouldthewholeoftheammunitionexplode，itmightigniteanddestroyMasindi。
Mymenthoroughlyunderstoodtheirwork。Immenselogs，ninefeetinlength，andmanyupwardsoftwofeetindiameter，wereplanted，closetogether，inholestwofeetdeep。Anyintersticeswerefilledupwithsmallerpostssunkfirmlyintheground。Theentrancetothelittlefortwasaprojectingpassage，abouttwelvefeetlong，andonlythreefeetwide，formedoftworowsofenormouspalisades，sunktwofeetsixinchesintheearth，whichwaspoundedcloselydownwithheavyrammers。Thispassagewasanimportantfeatureinthepowerofdefence，asitaddedtotheflankingfire。Areferencetotheplanwillshowthatthearrangementofthissmallfortgaveusthreefireproofroomsfortheprotectionofstoresandammunition，andfortheaccommodationofthenecessaryguard。Eachoftheseroomswasformedofthestrongestpalisades，uponwhichIarrangedaflatroofofthickposts，laidparallel，whichwerecoveredwithtemperedearthandchoppedstrawforthethicknessofafoot。
Theearthfromtheditchwouldlieagainsttheoutsidefaceofthestockade，atanangleofabout40degreesfromtheedgeoftheditchtowithineighteeninchesoftheprojectingroof：thusthedefenderscouldfirefromthestrongroomsthroughtheintersticesoftheuprighttimbers。
Wecommencedthisfortonthemorningof2ndJune，andeverypalisadewasinitsplaceandfirmlyrammeddownbytheeveningofthe5th；thus，infourdays’hardworkwehadanimpregnableprotectioninapositionnearlyhalf-waybetweentheentranceofthemainapproachandthegovernmentdivan。
Thediggingoftheditchwascommenced，butthiswasalongeroperation，aswewereprovidedwiththelightUnyorohoes，whichwerenotsufficientlypowerfultocutthroughthehardgravelsubsoil。
Theinterpreter，Umbogo，returnedon3rdJune。Hecouldnotintheleastexplainthehostiledemonstrationof31stMay。Thisaddedtomysuspicion，asUmbogomusthaveknownmorethanhechosetotell。
Onthe4thJuneenvoysarriveddirectfromM’tese，thekingofUganda，withaletterofwelcome，writteninArabic，addressedtomyself。
TheprincipalmessengerwasoneofM’tese’sheadmen，namedWaysooa。Thecommander-in-chief，Congow，hadalsosentarepresentative，namedBonneggesah；thesepeoplewereaccompaniedbyaninterpreternamedBokamba。
Theenvoyswereremarkablywell-dressed，inIndianclothes，andtheyappearedquitecivilized，asthoughnativemerchantsofBombay。
TheynowdeliveredtheircredentialsfromKingM’tese：thesewereobjectsthathadbeengiventohimmanyyearsagobySpekeandGrant。A
printedbookKaffrelaws，severalwater-colourdrawings，includingapictureofaguinea-fowlandayellow-breastedpigeon；alsoalittlefolding-bookwithsketchesofBritishsoldiersofvariousregiments。
TheseIcarefullyexaminedandreturnedtotheenvoys，whowrappedthemneatlyinapieceofcalicoasgreattreasures。ImustacknowledgetheimportantassistancerenderedbytheKingM’tese，whichwastheresultofthegoodreputationleftbymyprecursors，SpekeandGrant。
Thegeneral，Congow，hadsentatusktoSELL！Ideclinedtheoffer，butIsenthimascarletblanketasapresent。IalsopackedupanassortmentofhandsomearticlesforM’tese，includingmanyyardsoforange-colouredgoldbrocade，sufficientforalargeflowingrobe。
Igavepresentstotheenvoys，andtheyappeareddelighted，bowingfrequentlytothegroundwhileupontheirknees，withtheirhandsclaspedtogether，andrepeatingtheword，”N’yanzig，””N’yanzig，””N’yanzig。”
Inreplytomyinquiries，nothinghadbeenheardofLivingstone。IsentM’tesealetterinArabic，begginghimtouseeveryexertioninasearchforthegreattraveller，andtoforwardhimtome，shouldhebesofortunateastodiscoverhim。AtthesametimeIwrotetwoletters，whichIaddressedtoLivingstone；intheseIgavehimthenecessaryinformation。IconsignedthemtothecareofM’tese，tobeforwardedtoanytravellerswhomightbeheardof，farornear。
InmylettertoM’tese，Icomplimentedhimuponthegeneralimprovementofhiscountry，anduponhisconversionfromheathenismtoabeliefintheDeity。Iexplained，thatowingtohiskindnesstoSpekeandGrant，hisnamehadbecomeknownthroughouttheworld，andIbeggedhimtoshowthesameattentiontoLivingstone。
Idescribedtheobjectoftheexpedition，inopeningupatradefromthenorththatwouldbringmerchandiseofeverydescriptiontohiskingdom；
butIadvisedhimtosendhisowncarriers，asIfeltsurethatKabbaRegawasalreadyjealous，andwouldendeavourtopreventtheopeningofthecommercialroadtoM’tese，ashewouldhimselfwishtomonopolizethetrade。
ThiswasalittlestrokeofdiplomacythatIfeltsurewouldopenadirectcommunicationwithoutdelay，asM’teselookeddownwithcontemptuponKabbaRega，andwouldatoncefeelinsultedatoppositionfromsuchaquarter。Thegoodeffectofthispolicywillbeseentowardsthecloseoftheexpedition。
ShouldIhaveanyopenrupturewithKabbaRega，M’tesewouldatonceattributethecausetotheobstructiveandselfishcharacteroftherulerinUnyoro。
IexplainedtotheenvoysallthatIhadwrittentoM’tese，andhavingexhibitedthevarietiesofmerchandisethatbelongedtotheexpedition，Itookthemintothewonderfulprivatehouse，wheretheywereintroducedtotheQueen，andthePrincessofWales，andthegaudyladies，togetherwiththefox-huntersandhounds，thelargemirrors，thewheeloflife，&c。；allofwhichweredulyexplainedtothem。Agoodshockwiththemagneticbatterywounduptheentertainment，andprovidedthemwithmuchmaterialforareporttotheirroyalmasterupontheirreturntoUganda。
ThegeographicalinformationaffordedbythesepeopleIshallextractverbatimfrommyjournal，inwhichitwaswrittenatthatparticulartime：thus，geographerswillhearallthatIheard，andtheymayformvariousopinions，whichwillperhapsaddstillfurthertotheinterestpertainingtothemysteriesofCentralAfrica。”ThenativenamefortheVictoriaN’yanzaisNerraaBali：Therearetwolakesadjoiningeachother，oneisNerraaBali，theotherSessi；bothofwhichareverylarge，andtheyareseparatedbyaneckoflandaboutaday’smarchacross。”OntheSessiLakethenativesliveonfloatingislands，andsubsistbyfishing；exchangingtheirfishforflour，&c。，uponthemainland。”Thereisanarrowwater-communicationthroughtheneckoflandoristhmus，whichcanbepassedthroughbyacanoeinoneday。”
Onthe5thJunetheenvoysreturnedtowardsUganda，havingbeenhighlygratifiedwiththeirvisit。TheyhadappearedmuchconcernedathearingofpoorSpeke’sdeath；andcontinuedtoexclaimforsomeminutes，”Wah！
Wah！Speekee！Speekee！Wah！Speekee！”
CHAPTERXXI。
TREACHERY。
Forsomedayspast，KabbaRegahadfrequentlysenthisinterpreterswithmessages，thathewishedtoselltheivorywhichhehadcollectedforthegovernment。Wehadnoticedonseveraloccasionsmanypeopleladenwithlargeelephants’tusks，whoinvariablymarchedtowardsthesamedirection。Thedragoman，Kadji-Barri，dailybroughtivoryforsalefortheaccountofhismaster；andexchangedtusksforallkindsoftrifles，suchasporcelaincupsandsaucers，smallmusicalboxes，&c。，&c。
On6thJune，twenty-onetuskswerepurchasedfromthemessengersofKabbaRega，andIthoughtthattheyoungkingwasgettingtiredofhissulkyfit，andthatweshouldbeoncemorefriends。
Thesupplyoffoodwasalwaysatrouble。Everydaywaspassedinrepeatedapplicationstotheauthoritiesforsupplies，whichwereatlengthgrudginglybestowed。
On7thJune，therewasnothingforthetroopstoeat。Althoughon31stMaywehadreceivedtwentyloadsofcorn，theseweresimplythelongnarrowpackageswhicharesoneatlymadeoftheplantainbarkthroughoutUnyoro，butwhichcontainverylittle。