18 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

small presents of food I have mentioned helped us

out of grave dilemmas. One day when we were in

want I thought of a likeness of the Queen, and took

it up to Mtesa ; he was so much pleased, that we

received a welcome gift of hananas, which supplied

our wants for several days. But it will be easily

understood that it is no pleasant thing to be depen-

dent on so capricious a man as Mtesa for all means

of subsistence; and until buying and selling are

allowed in Uganda, strangers will have only a

precarious and uncomfortable existence.

Mtesa much admired the photograph of the

Queen, remarking that he thought her dress was

very good. He was never tired of talking about

her, asking endless questions about her—how she

lived, what she wore, how many servants she had,

if she killed many people, and such like inquiries. He was most anxious to imitate her, and was often

heard to say, " Well, now, Queenee would do so-and-

so," or " Queenee would say this," though I do not

think her Majesty would recognise his interpretation

of her doings and sayings.

It is Mtesa's great ambition to be considered a

" Big King." His exaggerated notion of his own

importance, and of the greatness and magnificence

of his court, often made me smile. Yet it is not

very surprising that he has such grand ideas of

himself, when one remembers that he has always

been surrounded by a crowd of courtiers and syco-