36 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

tried my best to induce the men to kill a cow, for food was scarce and I was very hungry ; but all my efforts were in vain. The men, who had taken possession of all the cows Mtesa had given me for food during the journey, declined to kill any of them ; and when I even offered to pay they still refused, saying they could get a better price at Mruli. If we had been going to Eubaga, instead of leaving it, such an occurrence would never have taken place, for a complaint to the king would have cost them their lives. But when they are escorting travellers from the court they know that they are safe from complaints reaching the king ; and for this reason, although they protect the lives of those under their care, they are not too ready to provide them with food.

The next morning, June 1, we were up early and in the best of spirits, for we were expecting to reach Mruli, from which we were only twenty miles distant. The cattle were driven off some time before I was ready to start, but we soon overtook them. For the first two hours the road ran through the same open jungle, the ground sloping to the north-north-east. In the distance could be seen large herds of antelopes grazing ; only once did we get within reasonable distance. I tried a shot at about 1000 yards, which was not altogether successful, as the animal was only slightly wounded.

In due course we reached the river Kafur, about