THE WORLD'S WONDERS* 



to remain on the opposite bank two days longer, but finally 

 succeeded, through a liberal display of presents and the use of 

 various stratagems, in getting over the stream. 



Still their troubles were not ended, and it was some time before 

 Baker was permitted to have an interview with the king. He 

 and his wife were both so prostrated with fever at this time that 

 they had to be carried in litters, and Kamrasi's procrastination 

 worried them greatly. Finally it was announced that the king 

 was ready to receive them, and although more fit for a hospital 

 than an interview, Baker instructed his men to carry him into the 

 presence of the African potentate. He was shortly laid on a mat 

 at the king's feet, whom he found to be a fine-looking man, but 

 with a peculiar expression of countenance, owing to his extremely 

 prominent eyes ; he was about six feet high, beautifully clean, 

 and was dressed in a long robe of bark-cloth most gracefully 

 folded. The nails of his fingers and toes were carefully attended, 

 and his complexion was about as dark a brown as that of an 

 Abyssinian. He sat upon a copper stool placed upon a carpet 

 of Iwopard skins, and was surrounded by about ten of his prin- 

 cipal chiefs. 



This interview proved to be a pleasant one, and after explain- 

 ing that the object of his visit to Unyoro was to find the great 

 lake from which the Nile flows, Baker ordered his men to unpack 

 a Persian carpet, which was spread upon the ground before the 

 king. He then gave him a large white Cashmere mantle, a red 

 silk netted sash, a pair of scarlet Turkish shoes, several pairs of 

 socks, a double-barreled gun and ammunition, and a great heap 

 of first-class beads made up into gorgeous necklaces and girdles. 

 Kamrasi took very little notice of the presents, but requested 

 that the gun might be fired off. This was done, to the utter 

 confusion of the crowd, who rushed away in such haste that 

 they tumbed over each other like so many rabbits ; this delighted 

 the king, who, although himself startled, now roared with 

 laughter. He told Baker that he must be hungry and thirsty, 

 therefore he hoped he would accept something to eat and drink : 

 accordingly he presented him with seventeen cows, twenty pots 

 of sour plantain cider, and many loads of unripe plantains. 



