THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 201 



thin, both of you ; it was your own fault ; why did you not agree 

 to fight Bionga? You should have been supplied with fat cows 

 and milk and butter, had you behaved well. I will have my men 

 ready to attack Rionga to-morrow ; the Turks have ten men ; 

 you have thirteen ; thirteen and ten make twenty-three ; you 

 shall be carried if you can't walk, and we will give Rionga no 

 chance he must be killed only kill him, and MY BROTHER will 

 give you half of his kingdom." He continued, "You shall have 

 supplies to-morrow ; I will go to my brother, who is the great 

 M'Kamrna Kamrasi, and he will send you all you require. I am 

 a little man, he is a big one ; I have nothing, he has everything, 

 and he longs to see you ; you must go to him directly ; he lives 

 close by." Baker hardly knew whether the man was drunk or 

 sober " my brother, the great M'Kamma Kamrasi !" He felt 

 bewildered with astonishment, and asked, "If you are not Kam- 

 rasi, pray who are you?" "Who am I?" he replied; "that's 

 very good; who am I? why, I am M'Gambi, the brother of 

 Kamrasi, I am the younger brother, but he is the king." 



This circumstance illustrated the almost incredible deceit of 

 the country. Baker had never actually seen the king up to this 

 time, though he had given so many presents to the man who had 

 personated Kamrasi, believing that by so doing he was securing 

 the king's friendship and aid. He hardly knew how to act, but 

 the pale face of his very sick wife admonished prudence. He 

 therefore requested to be taken to Kamrasi at once ; but this 

 was not according to royal custom, for the king had first to be 

 apprised of the intended visit. A messenger being therefore 

 dispatched soon returned with word from Kamrasi to have the 

 white man brought to his palace on the following day. 



Baker's clothes had been worn to rags, and his wan and hag- 

 gard features made him truly an ill-looking object; so he deter, 

 mined to present a somewhat improved appearance before the 

 king. This he accomplished by putting off his rags and substi- 

 tuting a full-dress Highland suit, which he had carried with him 

 but never worn. The change thus effected was so great that his 

 own men hardly recognized him. He was carried in the litter a 



