He had been in Masudi's camp, and had delivered my message to Insangez.

Asudi, he said, had been there a fortnight unable to settle his hongo, for the great Mkama had not deigned to see him, though the Arab had been daily to his palace requesting an interview.

"Well," I said, "that is all very interesting, but what next ?--will the big king see us ?" "O no; by the very best good fortune in the world, on going into the palace I saw Suwarora, and spoke to him at once; but he was so tremendously drunk, he could not understand me." "What luck was there in that ?" I asked.

On which Bombay said, "Oh, everybody in the place congratulated me on my success in having obtained an interview with that great monarch the very first day, when Arabs had seldom that privilege under one full month of squatting; even Masudi had not yet seen him." To which Nasib also added, "Ah, yes--indeed it is so--a monstrous success; there is great ceremony as well as business at these courts; you will better see what I mean when you get to Uganda.

These Wahuma kings are not like those you ever saw in Unyamuezi or anywhere else; they have officers and soldiers like Said Majid, the Sultan at Zanzibar." "Well," said I to Bombay, "what was Suwarora like ?" "Oh, he is a very fine man--just as tall, and in the face very like Grant; in fact, if Grant were black you would not know the difference." "And were his officers drunk too ?" "O yes, they were all drunk together; men were bringing in pombe all day." "And did you get drunk ?" "O yes," said Bombay, grinning, and showing his whole row of sharp-pointed teeth, "they WOULD make me drink; and then they showed me the place they assigned for your camp when you come over there.