THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 453 



MTESA WELCOMES STANLEY. 



ON the following day Magassa, in his superb canoe, led the 

 way, with Stanley following. When about two miles from.Usa- 

 vara, they saw what they estimated to be thousands of people 

 arranging themselves in order onji gently rising ground. When 

 about a mile from the shore, Magassa gave the order to signal 

 the advance upon it with fire-arms, and was at once obeyed by 

 a dozen musketeers. Half a mile off Stanley saw that the people 

 on the shore had formed themselves into two dense lines, at the 

 ends of which stood several finely dressed men, arrayed in crim- 

 son and black and snowy white. As they neared the beach, 

 volleys of musketry burst out from the long lines. Magassa's 

 canoes steered outward to right and left, while 200 or 300 heavily 

 loaded guns announced to all around that the white man whom 

 Mtesa's mother had dreamed about had landed. Numerous 

 kettle and bass drums sounded a noisy welcome, and fl;igs, 

 banners, and bannerets waved, and the people gave a great shout. 

 Very much amazed at all this ceremonious and pompous greeting, 

 Stanley strode up toward the great standard, near which stood a 

 short young man, dressed in a crimson robe which covered an 

 immaculately white dress of bleached cotton, before whom 

 Magassa, who had hurried ashore, kneeled reverently, and turn- 

 ing to the visitor, begged him to understand that this short young 

 man was the Katekiro (Prime Minister.) 



A dozen well-dressed officers came forward, and grasping 

 Stanley's hand, welcomed him to Uganda. By these he was 

 conducted to a court-yard, surrounded by a circle of grass- 

 thatched huts, in the niidst of which was a larger house where he 

 was invited to make his quarters. He was soon besieged by all 

 manner of questions concerning the earth, air, .and the heavens, 

 which he apparently answered to the satisfaction of the natives, 

 for they went immediately to the king (Mtesa) and told him the 

 white man knew everything ; at this his Majesty rubbed his hands 

 as though he had just come into possession of a treasure, and 

 sent fourteen fat oxen, sixteen goats and sheep, a hundred 

 bunches of bananas, three dozen fowls, four wooden jars of milk, 



