8 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

shoulder, as all the native cloth is worn. He received me in a very friendly way, and gave straightforward 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 proceeding 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 administered 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