Thewantofprovisionswassorelyfelt；fortunately，asourcowshadbeendyingdaily，thetroopshadsomesweetpotatoesthathadbeenpurchasedinexchangeforflesh。Thesewouldlastforafewdays。
Ashorttimebeforetheattack，IhadpromisedtosendKabbaRegaaporcelaincache-pot。Ithereforetooktheopportunityofremindingthesheikofmypromise，andIbeggedhimtodeliverthepieceofchinatoKabbaRegaasaproofofmypeacefulintentions，shouldhereallybeinnocentofthetreachery。
ThehandsomepresentwaswrappedupinredTurkeycloth，andthemessengersdeparted。
Iwatchedthemthroughthetelescope，and，upontheirarrivalatthevillagebelowus，Idistinctlywitnessed，notonlytheirreceptionbytheexpectantcrowd，butthecache-potwasunpackedandheldatarm’slengthabovethehead，tobeexhibitedtotheadmiringpeople。
Thislookedwell。Myofficersbegantobelieveinpeace；and，althoughIstillhadstrongsuspicions，IhopedthatthesignaldefeatwhichKabbaRega’sarmyhadsustainedhadsofarcowedthemastoinduceaterminationofhostilities，thatwouldenablemetocommunicatewithMajorAbdullah。
Theluggagefromthegovernmentdivanhadallbeencarriedtothefort。
Thiswasnowreturnedtoouroriginalquarters；mywifeandherblackmaidswereworkinghardatrearrangingtherooms。
Thenightpassedquietly。
On10thofJuneamatongaleandseveralnativesarrivedfromKabbaRega，withamostpolitemessageandfriendlyassurances，accompaniedbyapresentoftwobeautifulwhitecows。
Themessengerscorroboratedthestatementoftheprecedingday，thatlargequantitiesofprovisionswerebeingpreparedforus，togetherwithtwentyelephants’tusks，whichweretobedeliveredasapeace-offeringbyRahonkaandKittakarainperson。
Affairslookedbrighter。Itwasmybestpolicytosecurepeaceifpossible。
IdeterminedtosendKabbaRega，inreturnforhispresentofcows，thelargeGenevamusicalbox，withdrumsandbells，whichhehadalwaysdesired。
Nooneknewhowtowinditup；anditwasnecessarythatsomepersonshouldaccompanyitwiththenativemessengers。
Theclerkofthedetachment，Ramadan，whohasalreadybeenmentionedasafavouritewiththenatives，andagoodlinguist，atoncevolunteeredtobethebearerofthepresent。SincethebattleofMasindi，Ramadanhadbeeninfrequentpersonalcommunicationwiththenatives，andheassuredmethattherewasageneraldesireforpeacefulrelations。HewassupposedtobeafavouriteofKabbaRega’s，anditwasthereforearrangedthatheshouldaccompanythemusicalbox，whichwasagoodloadforafast-travellingnative。
Hafiz，thefarrier，whoseoccupationwasnearlygonebythedeathofallthehorsesbuttwo，volunteeredtoaccompanyRamadan。Iorderedthemtogounarmed，astheirpeacefulmissionwouldbeatonceunderstood；thisfactwouldestablishconfidenceamongthenatives。
Itwasabout3P。M。whentheystarted，andwewatchedtheirarrivalinthevillagewiththetelescope，wheretheyappearedtobewellreceived。
Intheeveningtheybothreturnedwiththemusicalbox，accompaniedbythesheikwhowastobetheirguide，asKabbaRegahadretiredtoatownatwhichhehadaresidence，abouthalfaday’smarchdistant。Itwasarrangedthattheyshouldstartonthefollowingmorning。
Onthe11thJune，RamadanandHafiz，togetherwiththemusicalbox，started，andwewatchedtheirreceptionatthevillagewiththetelescope。IhadreleasedUmbogo，whomIhadsenttoKabbaRegatoexplainallthathehadseenoftheoutbreak，ashewasoneofthosethathadbeenpoisonedbytheplaintaincider。Umbogopromisedtoreturnassoonaspossible。Thedragoman，AbouKooka，remainedwithusintheplaceofUmbogo。Thiswasasullen-lookingbrutewhohadbeenaslavestolenfromtheMaditribe。
Imustnowtakeanextractverbatimfrommyjournal，thatwaswrittenonthedayoftheincident。Anywarmexpressionsinthisextractmustbeexcusedasanaturalconsequence，forwhichItrustdueallowancewillbegranted：——”IwalkedroundtheburnttownofMasindi，accompaniedbyJulianLieutenantBaker，Abd-el-Kader，andtwoguardsof’TheForty。’NeitherAbd-el-KadernorIcarriedguns，asIwishedtoestablishconfidenceamongthenativeswhoweresearchingamongtheashesformolotes。”Isentforthedragoman，AbouKooka，andconversedwiththenatives，assuringthemofpeace，andthatIhadnoill-willagainstKabbaRega，ifMatonsewasthecauseoftheoutbreak。Atthesametime，Itoldthemtobringprovisionsforsale。”Theyseemedveryshy，andrepliedthat’allwouldberightwhenthemessengersshouldarrivefromKabbaRega。Onebyonetheywentaway，untilonlytwowereleft。Juliangavehisguntooneoftheguards。”Thetwonativeswerestandingontheedgeofthehighgrass，closetotheashesofthetown，andtheyappearedmoreconfident，astheyconversedwithusatabouttwelveyards’distance。”Presentlytheysaidtheywouldcomeclosetous，wereitnotfortheirfearofthetwosentrieswiththeirrifles，whowereaboutfortyyardsinourrear。”Iturnedroundtoorderthesentriestoretirealittle。Theinstantthatmybackwasturned，oneofthetreacherousbruteshurledhisspearatme，whichstruckquiveringintheearthatmyfeet！Atthesamemomenttheyboltedintothehighgrass，accompaniedbyourdragoman，AbouKooka，anddisappearedatoncelikefishinwater！”Thetreacheryofthenegroisbeyondbelief；hehasnotamoralhumaninstinct，andisbelowthebrute。Howisitpossibletoimprovesuchabjectanimals?Theyarenotworththetrouble，andtheyareonlyfitforslaves，towhichpositiontheirraceappearstohavebeencondemned。”IbelieveIhavewastedmytimeandenergy，andhaveuselesslyencountereddifficulties，andmadeenemiesbymyattempttosuppresstheslavetrade，andthusimprovetheconditionofthenatives。”Itisnow4。40P。M。，andIamanxiousaboutRamadanandHafiz，whohavenotreturned。”Mymenhavebeenonhalfrationssincethe8thinst。，andwehavesuppliesonlyforto-morrow，afterwhichweshallbeobligedtoforage，unlessKabbaRegasendsthepromisedprovisions。”Itisimpossibletobelieveonewordinthisaccursedcountry。AtthesametimethatKabbaRegadeclarespeaceandgood-will，hemaybeplanningasurprise。Idonotthink，however，thathispeoplewillbeinahurrytofightafterthelessontheyreceivedonthe8thinst。”Nevertheless，fightingisdangerousworkinthiscountryofhighgrass，wheretroopscannotseetomanoeuvre，andwherethegroundiseverywherefavourablefornativeambuscades。”
WhenIreturnedtothedivanwiththespearthathadsonarrowlymissedme，throughthecowardiceoftheassailantwhoshouldhavemadesureofme，hadhenotbeennervous，mywifewasnotcheeredbythelittleincident。ShehadhadthesameexperienceasmyselfinAfricannatures，andsheimmediatelydeclaredagainstthepretendedsincerityofKabbaRega。
Ihadseriousmisgivings。NothingcanhappeninUnyorowithouttheorderoftheking。Thesuperstitiousvenerationforthepossessorofthemagicthroneproducesaprofoundobedience。
Ontheotherhand，thisattemptatmurdermighthavebeenonlytherevengeofanindividualwhohadperhapslosthishouseandpropertyintheconflagrationofMasindi。
TheeveningarrivedwithouttidingsofeitherRamadanorUmbogo。Iwasnowwithoutaninterpreter。
Thetroops，andtheirwivesandeffects，occupiedthefort，andtheofficers’quartersandcamphadbeenabandoned。
Itwasabout8P。M。，anddinnerbeingover，Iwassmokingmypipeinthedivan，conversingwithmywifeandLieutenantBakeruponthesituationofaffairs，whenasuddenbrightglareattractedmyattention。
Anofficerimmediatelyreportedthattheabandonedquarterswereinablazeoffire！
Iwasofcoursereadyinaninstant，andarmed，andaccompaniedbymywifeandMr。Baker，Ireallyenjoyedthebeautyofthesceneinthatmomentofanxiety。
Withouttheslightestnoise，orevenanaudiblewhisper，thetroopswereallinposition，kneelingonthegroundinopenorderaroundthefortandthedivan，keepingthemostvigilantwatchfortheappearanceofanenemy。Theflamesfromthecamproseaboutseventyfeethigh。Therewasnotabreathofair；thusthefiredancedandleaptuptoitsextremeheight，andilluminedtheneighbourhoodforagreatdistance。
Notanenemywastobeseen。Thesoldierswerelikestatues，andtherewasnosoundexcepttheroaringofflames。
Suddenlyloudyellsbrokeoutfromadistanceofabout200yardsfromthefarthestsideofthefort，asthoughfromaconsiderablebodyofmen。Notasoldierstirredorspoke。
Ihadclearedthegrassaroundthefortandstation，thereforeitwasimpossibletoapproachusunobserved。
Thenativesmusthavecreptupstealthily，andfiredtheabandonedcampintheexpectationthatthetroopswouldhaverusheddowntoextinguishtheflames，andthusthefortandthedivanwouldhavebeenatthemercyofanattackfromthedarkside。
Iimmediatelysentastrongpatrolaroundthestation，butnotasoulwasvisible。Theattempthadfailed。
Oncemoretheluggage，withbeds，boxes，&c。，wastransportedfromthedivantothefort。
Thenightpassedquietly。On12thJune，Iwatchedthenativeswiththetelescope，andIobservedthatmanyofthecrowdweregesticulatinginanexcitedmanner。