Through Ruanda to Lake Kiwu 53 



Others, and more shrewd, threw themselves down in the grass 

 and remained motionless, and they alone were spared. Greatly 

 disconcerted, stung all over, and decidedly " taken down " at this 

 shameful defeat, we met together again on the lower hillslope, 

 where the enemy was still disputing the field. Wiese had the 

 excellent idea of getting the Askari along and shielding their 

 faces and hands with woollen blankets, so that they might get 

 the loads away. What a sight our camp presented ! The loads 

 scattered about, individuals lying about here and there stretched 

 out in the grass, the dogs howling and limping about on three 

 legs, the fowls dead ! The air was still filled with myriads 

 of bees that flung themselves angrily in dense droves upon the 

 disturbers of their peace. The thick woollen armour, however, 

 was almost sting-proof, and it was possible in a little while to 

 bring the loads into a place of security. Yet it meant five 

 hours' laborious work before a new camp was set up at a 

 respectable distance from the first one. This little adventure 

 gave us a lesson for the future. We never pitched our camp 

 again under a vtti ya nyuki, or bee-tree. The evening finished 

 up with a violent thunderstorm, the first we had encountered in 

 our wanderings. 



Next morning the exhausted and suffering caravan met with 

 a very strange surprise. 



A procession was descending the slope with such solemn 

 gravity and in so calm and imposing a manner that the chatter- 

 ing of our carriers ceased as if by magic, and we all gazed 

 upwards mute and spellbound. 



Surrounded by a large staff of young men, two ambassadors 

 from Sultan Msinga were slowly approaching our camp. They 

 strode along with an indescribable self-possession and dignity, 

 like apparitions from another world, clothed in the exceedingly 

 picturesque gala costume of the Watussi. Bussissi and Nanturu 

 were fine upstanding men of great height, over two metres. They 

 brought the Sultan's greetings and presents of numerous oxen, 

 calves, sheep, goats, pigs, etc., and were commanded to escort 

 us to their sovereign's residence. 



