8 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

shoulder, as all the native cloth is worn. He re-

ceived me in a very friendly way, and gave straight-

forward answers to all my questions ; in return, he

put me through a searching cross-questioning, and,

by so doing, gave me a good idea of his mental

capacity. He gave me to understand that he was

exceedingly anxious to be cured, in proof whereof

he submitted to a personal examination, a pro-

ceeding he had never allowed before. While I

examined him, all his wives and people were ordered

to turn away. I explained to him that if I was to

be of any use to him, he must strictly obey all my

orders. Without this, I told him he could not hope

to be cured. lie promised me to follow out my

injunctions, but stipulated that I should always

bring him medicine myself. This interview was

the beginning of my intercourse with Mtesa ; I

always found him to be kind and courteous, and

, personally I continued on the most friendly terms

with him. I had always to take some of my medicine

before I gave it to the king ; a dose was also ad-

ministered to three or four of the pages ; if any of them should have happened to die within seven days,

it would have been supposed that poison had been mixed with the medicine.

For the first week or two I had great difficulty in

visiting the king when I wished to do so, it being

against the law of Uganda for any one to see him

unless he had first been sent for. I found myself