134 RUBAGA TO MRULI.

loads, I hastened thither, but when I arrived I found that quiet had been restored, for the shots had frightened the Wanydro, who were only armed with spears. Mréko had been sitting with Kanagurba drinking banana wine, when suddenly about twenty men sprang out from the grass, throwing spears, without, however, doing any harm.

On account of light rain in the morning the porters could scarcely be persuaded to move. Beautiful undulating park land, with here and there water puddles, stretched on all sides, until, after a three hours’ march, we reached a deserted banana wood called Gumrisi, where our leaders decided to halt for the day. I had noticed on the way many tamarind-trees, a sion that we were going northwards. Mtésa’s long-expected messengers arrived at last, bringing me a letter from him saying that Kanagurba was to accompany me to Khartum. I was not greatly rejoiced at that, for Kanagurba is a very crossorained individual.

The next morning Mréko and his people were stirring very early—they always camp apart from us—a sure sign that a long march awaited us. ‘The country we traversed is considerably depressed below the general level, and bears distinct traces of frequent inundations, Hills and park land were varied by very small fields. After crossing some high hills, we rested fora few minutes by some rounded blocks of granite which were lying in the way, and then pushing vigorously on, in five hours and a half (the best march of the journey) we encamped at Kidtosi (Speke’s Kiratosi). I had scarcely built my straw hut, when Mréko came to inform me that the next day we were to rest ; but, as I was afraid he wished to make reprisals for the attack of the day before yesterday, I tried to induce him to proceed, and after much persuasion succeeded. In the meantime one of my Wanyoro porters, who had straggled, had been seized by Kabréga’s people and robbed of his load, but the Waganda, who had joined us, pursued them, and we recaptured the load, from which little was missing. The country slopes gently down from here to Khor Ergugu. I have described the crossing of the khor before; this time it was successfully accomplished in an hour and a quarter, but there was not so much grass growing as at the point where we crossed previously ; unfortunately