THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 461 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



LUKONGEH, THE KING. 



IT was Stanley's intention to return to Mtesa's with his expe- 

 dition in boats, but as Magassa had deserted him with the canoes 

 furnished by Mtesa, he was compelled to look elsewhere. The 

 chief ol the village where his camp was located had no boats, 

 but ho ,nformed Stanley that he could obtain all the canoes he 

 would need from Lukongeh, king of Ukerewe, whose capital was 

 about fifty miles distant. Accordingly, on May 29th, Stanley 

 set out for Lukongeh's palace, where he arrived on the evening 

 of the 31st, but found the king indisposed, his Majesty being on 

 a royal drun.k, so that an audience could not be had until the 

 third day afterward. Then Stanley showed Lukongeh the pres- 

 ents he had brought for him, the magnificence of which so aston- 

 ished the king that he hastily motioned for them to be covered 

 up again, lest his subjects should see them and become jealous. 

 He whispered to Stanley that he would come to his hut after dark 

 and see them ; and, true to his promise, on the succeeding night, 

 accompanied by five of his principal chiefs, he made his appear- 

 ance,, Stanley presented each of them with a quantity of fine 

 cloths, beads, wire, two rugs, two red blankets, and some copper 

 ornaments. His munificence pleased them amazingly, and in the 

 exuberance of his feelings Lukongeh promised Stanley that he 

 should have all the canoes he wanted ; but first he desired to sit 

 by the fountain of wisdom, which he considered the white man 

 to.be, and drink great draughts of learning. To this end he 

 came nearly every hour to talk and ask questions, by which Stan- 

 ley perceived that the king would prove an easy subject for con- 

 Version to the Christian faith, and gave him much enlightenment. 



SOME WONDERFUL SUPERSTITIONS. 



THE king is supposed, by his subjects, to be endowed with 

 supernatural power, and Lukongeh made no effort to lessen this 

 belief. His people imagined that he could parch the land with 



