250 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



neighboring chiefs made bitter complaint against the slave traders, 

 and begged the protection which Baker had now afforded. Feel- 

 ing secure in the steps taken to establsh good government at 

 Fatiko, he placed a small garrison in the village and departed for 

 Unyoro, which lay one hundred and sixty miles to the south. 

 Enough porters were engaged to insure a rapid conveyance of the 

 luggage, if none deserted, which was always a probability. It 

 was in the latter part of March when the expedition left Fatiko, 

 when spring was being ushered in and all the world seemed 

 bursting with gladness. The country was one of extraordinary 

 beauty and large game could be seen in all directions. Antelopes 

 were especially numerous, so that each day was spent by Baker 

 in glorious sport, yielding fresh meat continually for all the men. 

 But as the cavalcade reached the Unyoro country they found a 

 remarkable change ; spring had invested the earth with beautiful 

 verdure, and nature seemed glad, but here were the landmarks of 

 war and desolation, burned and deserted villages, fallow fields 

 and poverty. When Kamrasi died, he left a disputed inheritance 

 to his two sons, Kabba Mero and Kabba Rega, who at once began 

 a bitter struggle for the succession. Rionga, Kamrasi' s brother 

 and most bitter enemy, was still alive and as active as ever in 

 fighting the Unyoros. Abou Saood had in the meantine espoused 

 the cause of each in turn, as it suited his purposes best, and 

 plundered them all. There had been incessant fighting for more 

 than a year, during which time nearly everything in the country 

 was destroyed, and many of the people were starving while mur- 

 der and pillage ran riot. But the famished condition of the 

 country was not without benefit to Baker, as it enabled him to 

 enlist a number of the natives as irregular soldiers and to form 

 posts that would open communication with Fatiko. 



A VISIT FROM KABBA REGA. 



HE halted within a short distance of Kabba Rega's palace, and 

 sent messengers ahead to communicate with the king ; but after 

 waiting in vain several days for an invitation to enter his capital, 

 Masindi, Baker broke camp and after a journey of seventeen 

 miles through the forest, came upon the village, which is situated 



