AQ4 LETTERS TO DR. SCHWEINFURTH.

had retired, and that a detachment of marauders which had remained behind had been defeated, and some of their rifles taken. At last, on February 14, some messengers came from Kabréga with long letters from Junker and Vita. And now listen! One of the servants of the Zanzibar merchants came into Vita’s hut towards evening on February 4, with one of Kabréga’s men, and, when the latter was not looking, he threw down two notes before Vita, and then went off with his companion. Vita took up the notes, and found that one of them was directed to himself in Arabic, and the other addressed in French, “ A Monsieur le Voyageur dans cette ville.” This he immediately handed to Junker; and what were the contents ? A certain Mohammed Biri, an oer “ancien interprete de ’ Association Inter ey pour V eeploration de D Afrique, ” announced that he had arrived from Uganda the evening before disguised as a trader, and that he had news for us all from Kegypt and the coast. He would be able to visit the gentlemen and talk with them in a day or two. Dr. Fischer had come as far as Usukuma (compare the news sent me) by Kabréga given above), but the King of Ugdnda had refused to let him pass through his territory, and so he had gone to Manyuema. You may imagine Junker’s anxiety when he read the letter. He would no doubt have liked to send me further details, but Kabréga sent off his men here the next morning. So there is nothing for it but to wait patiently. Junker had written on January 19 to Mr. Mackay in Uganda, asking for porters; from there too an answer may have arrived. I sent off an officer to Junker and Vita early on the 18th, under pretence of sending ivory to Vita for the purchase of cloths, and I am expecting the steamer to return from the lake to-day or | to-morrow. I wrote to Kabréga, begging him not to detain the officer, and so we shall probably know how we stand in about fifteen days. At any rate, there is a very good prospect of at least getting our letters forwarded to you. Another messenger from Ladé came on the 16th; this time too it was.

a Negro female slave who had escaped. According to her, the Negroes had started off hurriedly from Jebel Ladd because a man had brought news that troops and Danagla had come up from the Bahr-el-Ghazal by steamer, and had laid waste