AsthesepeoplespokeArabic，Inowexplainedthewholeaffair，andassuredthemofmyrepeatedrefusaltoattackRionga，whenIhadbeenpressedtodosobothbyKamrasi，andbyhisson，KabbaRega。Therecouldbelittledoubtthat，hadIalliedwithhimagainstRionga，thebattleofMasindiwouldneverhavetakenplace；andthelivesofsomeofmybestmenwouldhavebeenspared。
IwouldnowdeposeKabbaRega，andappointRiongaasthevakeelorrepresentativeoftheEgyptiangovernment，providedhewouldswearallegiance。
IsentapresenttoRiongaofentirepiecesofTurkeyredcloth，bluetwill，andfourhandkerchiefs；atthesametimeIexplainedthatwewereveryhungry，andrequiredcattleandcorn。
Beforethemessengersreturned，Iinspectedthetroops，whomarchedroundthecampintheirbestscarletuniforms，tothesoundofthedrumsandbugles。ThisexhibitionappearedtocreatequiteanimpressiononRionga’speople，whowouldreportusfitforserviceontheirreturntotheirchief。
Thirtyofthemenweresufferingfromulceratedlegs，causedbythesharp，poisonousedgesofthehighgrass。
Inacoupleofdays，twolargecanoesarrivedfromRiongawithpresentsofsomecorn，sweetpotatoes，andacowandsheep。Wekilledthebeefimmediately，aswewereravenouslyhungry。
On16thJuly，westarted，inninecanoesthathadbeensuppliedbyRionga，tovisithimathisstation。Thetroopsmarchedbylandonthesouthbank。
AfterpaddlingforaboutfifteenmilesalongthegrandVictoriaNile，whichinthenarrowestpartwasatleast300yardswide，wearrivedat5
P。M。atadesolatespot，exactlyoppositetothetailofthelargeislanduponwhichRiongaresided。
Nothinghadbeenpreparedforourreception，thereforewelandedintheforest，andmymensettoworktocollectfirewoodforthenight。Thetroopswhohadmarchedoverlandhadnotarrived。Fortunatelywehadsomeflourandabottleofcurry-powder；thereforewedinedoffdhurra-porridgeandcurry，andlaydownonourcamp-sheetstosleep。
Thiswasathoroughnegrowelcome；nothingtoeat！
Thenextmorning，atabout7A。M。，thetroopswithColonelAbd-el-Kaderarrived；theyhadsufferedmuchfromhighgrassandthorns，astheyhadbeenobligedtobreaktheirwaythroughthejungle，inthetotalabsenceofapath。
AnumberofRionga’snativesnowarrivedtoassistinmakingourcamp。
Allhandssetvigorouslytoworkbuildinghuts，inanexcellentpositionthatIhadselectedontheriver’sbank。
On18thJuly，messengerscameearlytoinformmethatRiongawouldarrivethatmorningtogivemeawarmwelcome。
Ihadalreadysenthim，fromFoweera，abeautifulcloakofgoldbrocade，togetherwithanewtarbooshandsky-blueturban。
Atabout8A。M。，drumswerebeatingontheisland，andhornswereblowinginalldirections；theseweresignalsthattherenownedRiongawasonthemove。Weshortlyperceivednumerouslargecanoespushingofffromtheisland，andmakingforourlandingplace，whichIhadalreadycleared。
Acow，sheep，andaloadofcornwerefirstdeliveredasapresent。
ThesewerefollowedbyRionga，andalargestaffofhisprincipalheadmen。
Hewasahandsomemanofaboutfifty，withexceedinglygoodmanners。HehadnoneofthestiffnessofKamrasi，northegauchebearingofKabbaRega，buthewasperfectlyathisease。Heatoncethankedmeforthehandsomesuitinwhichhewasdressed，withoutwhich，heassuredmethatitwouldhavebeendifficultforhimtohaveappearedbeforemeinabecomingmanner。Thetroopsweredrawnouttoreceivehim，andtheconversationatonceturneduponKabbaRegaandAbouSaood。
Hehadanintimateknowledgeofallthathadtakenplace；whichhadbeenreportedtohimbyhisspies；andhedeclaredthatAbouSaoodhadlongagoarrangedaplanwithKabbaRegaforourdestructionshouldwearrivefromGondokoro。
RiongawaswellawarehowoftenIhadrefusedtoattackhim，andheconfessedthatIhadbeenhissaviourbythearrestofSuleiman，whowouldhavejoinedtheforcesofKabbaRegatohavecrushedhim。
ItookagreatfancytoRionga，ashewassoperfectlyfreeandeasyinhismanner。HetoldmeseveralanecdotesoftheescapeshehadhadfromsnareslaidforhimbyKamrasi；andheseemedquiterejoicedthatI，whohadalwaysdeclinedtomolesthimbeforeIhadknownhimpersonally，shouldnowhavetakenhimbythehand。
HedeclaredthathewouldalwaysremainthefaithfulrepresentativeoftheKhedive’sgovernment，butatthesametimewemustIMMEDIATELY
EXCHANGEBLOOD；withoutwhichceremony，thepeoplewouldnotriseinhisfavour。Hesaid，”Ifthenativesofthiscountry，andalsotheLanggosandtheUmiros，shallhearthatIhaveexchangedbloodwiththePacha，theywillhavethoroughconfidence，astheywillknowthathewillalwaysbetruetome，andItohim；butwithoutthisirrevocablecontract，theywillalwayssuspectsomeintrigue，eitheruponyoursideormine。”
Riongaproposedthatweshoulddrinkbloodonthefollowingmorning，asnotimeshouldbelost；herevelledwithchildishdelightinthedespairthatwouldseizeKabbaRegaandhischiefswhentheyshouldhearthenewsthatthePacha，andhisfriendRiongahadexchangedblood。
Thepreparationfortheceremonywastocommencethatevening。Weweretodrinkalargequantityofplaintaincider。”NotsuchstuffasKabbaRegagaveyou，”exclaimedRionga；”butadrinksuchasafriendwillpartakewithyou。”Iwasnottoeatanythingonthemorrow，untilthesunshouldbeinacertainpositionintheheavens，atwhichtimehewouldcalluponme。IwastoexchangebloodwithRionga；ColonelAbd-el-KaderandLieutenantBakerweretogothroughthesameinterestingceremonywithhisministerandhissonatthesametime。
IrecommendedhimatoncetosummonthechiefsoftheLanggosandtheUmiros，asIshouldwishtosecuretheirallianceandallegiancewithoutlossoftime。
Manylargejarsofthebestqualityofplantainciderwerenowbroughtfromtheisland。
ThenightpassedinnothingbutsinginganddancingasRiongagaveanentertainmentinhonourofourarrival，andasapreliminarytotheceremonyofexchangingbloodonthefollowingmorning。
Atabout9A。M。theunpleasanttaskwastobeperformed。Riongaarrivedandbeggedmetoaccompanyhimwithinatent，togetherwithLieutenantBaker，ColonelAbd-el-Kader，Karmissua，andMajobi。
Severalofhisfirst-classpeoplewereadmittedaswitnesses；thesewereInqui，Kimata，Ulendu，Singoma，Kibera，andsomeothers。
FortunatelyIhadasmalllancetinthehandleofmyknife；thereforeI
madeaslightincisiononmyleftfore-arm，fromwhichafewdropsofbloodflowed。Riongaimmediatelyseizedmyarmandgreedilysuckedthescratch。Ihadtoperformuponhisarm，andItookcaretomakesoslightapuncturethatonlyadropofbloodappeared；thiswasquiteenoughformyshareoftheceremony。Wewerenowfriendsforever，andnosuspicionoffoulplaycouldpossiblybeentertained。LieutenantBakerandAbd-el-Kaderwentthroughthesameoperationwiththeirrespectivepartners，andcementedanindissolublefriendship。
Itwasratheradisgustingperformance，butatthesametimeitwasabsolutelynecessaryforthesuccessoftheexpedition。Ihadnowreallysecuredatrustworthyman，whowouldactasmyvakeel。
Whenweemergedfromthehut，aminstrelappeared，whoplayeduponaspeciesofharp，andsangpraisesofmyselfandRionga；and，ofcourse，abusedKabbaRegawithtruepoeticallicence。
Igavetheminstrelaconsiderablepresentofbeads，andhewentawayrejoicing，singingandtwanginghisinstrumenttothediscomfitureofallourenemies。
ItwasfortunatethatIhadbeenabletocarrysomuchas300lbs。ofbeads。Thesoldierscouldnowpurchasefishandpotatoes。
Onthe23rdJuly，twogreatsheikswereintroducedbyRionga：”Gonah”，thechiefofaLanggodistrict，and”Okooloo”，arenownedwarrioroftheUmiros。
ThenakedbodyofOkooloowascoveredwithsmalltattoomarks，eachofwhichIwasassuredrepresentedavictimtohislance。
Ifhehadreallykilledhalfthatenormousnumberofmen，hemusthaveconsiderablyreducedthepopulation，andhecouldhavebeendoinglittleelseduringhislife。Samson’sfeatofkilling1，000menwashardlytobecomparedtotheslaughterthathadbeenaccomplishedbyOkooloo。
TheprospectofageneralattackuponKabbaRegawithfireandlancewasdelightfultothetasteofthiswarlikeoldchief，whowould，attheendofthecampaign，havenomoreroomonhisownskin，andwouldhavetokeepthelistofhisgameeitheruponthebackofasonorafavouritewife。
Isoonmadefriendswiththesetribes。Afewredandyellowhandkerchiefs，andtwoorthreepoundsofredandwhitebeads，weresufficienttogaintheiralliance。IproclaimedRiongaasthevakeelofthegovernment，whowouldruleUnyorointheplaceofKabbaRega，deposed。Riongawasacceptedbyacclamation；andiftheyoungtraitor，KabbaRega，couldhavewitnessedthislittleprojetdetraite，hewouldhaveshiveredinhisshoes。
Riongawasageneralfavourite，andthenativesweresincerelygladtoseehimatlengthsupportedbythegovernment。Throughouthislifehehadstrivenbravelyagainsteveryspeciesoftreacheryandpersecution；
thedayofhisrevengehadarrived。
IdidnotwishtooverrunUnyorountilthegrassshouldbefittoburn；
thiswouldnotbeuntiltheendofNovember。
IthereforearrangedthatIwouldleaveAbd-el-Kaderwithsixty-fivemeninapowerfulstockadethatIhadconstructedontheedgeoftheriverinthisspot，N。lat。2degrees6’17”，tosupportRionga，andtoorganizethenativeforces，whileIwouldtakefortymensnidersandmarchtoFatiko，toinquireintoallthathadhappenedduringmyabsence。ItwouldbenecessarytoformacorpsofirregularsunderthecommandofWat-el-Mek，whichIshouldimmediatelysendtooccupyUnyoro。
RiongatoldmethatheshouldattackM’rooliincompanywiththeLanggosandUmiros，whowouldquicklyoverrunthecountrynowthatKabbaRegawasunsupportedbytheslave-hunters。
HeatoncecollectedfiftynativestocarryourloadstoFatiko。
On27thJuly，havingleftallbeads，&c。，withColonelAbd-el-Kaderforthepurchaseofprovisions，wetookacordialleaveofRionga，andstarted，insixcanoes，at12。30P。M。；paddlingdownthestream，wearrivedatourdesertedzareebaat3。12P。M。Wefoundthecampquiteundisturbed；nooneappearedtohaveentereditsincewehadleftitsomedaysago。Thepalmoutriggercanoeswerelyinginthesamespot，securedtotherushes；andallthathadbelongedtouswasrigidlyrespected。
Riongahadgivenusasheeptoeatduringourmarchofseventy-ninemilesfromFoweeratoFatiko。Thisdidnotseemverygenerous，buthiscattlehadbeenmostlycarriedoffbytheslave-huntersunderSuleiman。
Fortunately，justasweenteredouroldstation，Ishotaguinea-fowl，whichmadeagoodcurry，andsavedourstoreofdriedfishfortheuninhabitedwildernessbeforeus。
ThebestfishasIbeforementionedin”TheAlbertN’yanza”istheLepidosirenannectens，andthisfatanddelicatemeatisexcellentwhensmokedanddried。
Wesleptinouroldcamp，andearlyonthefollowingmorningwepreparedtocrosstheriver。
Rionga’speopledidnotquitetrusttheinhabitantsontheotherside；I
accordinglysentastrongpartyofriflesacrossfirsttooccupythehighrockylanding-place。
Onthereturnofthecanoes，wewerejustpreparingtocrosswiththeremainderoftheparty，whenIobservedeightnativeswalkingveryfastalongtheforest-coveredcliffontheotherside。Weimmediatelygavethealarmtoourmenwhooccupiedtherocks。ThetelescopenowdiscoveredthatthearrangementofthehairofthesenativeswasthefashionofShooliandFatiko。
Theeightstrangers，whohadnotbeforeobservedus，nowhaltedinastonishment，andpresentlytheyshoutedingoodArabic——”AreyouthePacha’ssoldiers?WearesentbyAbdullahtolookforthePacha！”
Thiswasgreatgoodfortune；thenAbdullahwasalive，andIhopedmydetachmentwasallright！
Wecrossedthebroadriver，anduponclosearrival，wediscoveredthattwoofthemessengerswerewellknowntous，oneofwhomwasIarro，theinterpreterofthegreatsheik，RotJarma。
ThefirstgleamofpleasurewithwhichIhadwelcomedthesemessengersquicklychangedtoconsiderableanxiety。