A LAND OF GIANTS AND PYGMIES 
376 
lying about here and there stretched out 
in the grass, the dogs howHng and hmp- 
ing about on three legs, the fowls dead ! 
The air was still filled with myriads of 
bees ; they flung themselves angrily in 
dense droves upon the disturbers of their 
peace. The thick woolen armor, how- 
ever, was almost sting-proof, and it was 
possible in a little while to bring the 
loads into a place of security. Yet it 
meant five hours' laborious work before 
a new camp was set up at a respectable 
distance from the first one. This little 
adventure gave us a lesson for the fu- 
ture. We never pitched our camp again 
under a bee-tree. The evening finished 
up with a violent thunder-storm, the first 
we had encountered in our wanderings. 
AMBASSADORS FROM THIv SULTAN BRING 
HUGE presi;nts 
Next morning the exhausted and suf- 
fering caravan met with a very strange 
surprise. A procession was descending 
the slope with such solemn gravity and 
in so calm and imposing a manner that 
the chattering of our carriers ceased as 
if by magic, and we all gazed upward, 
mute and spellbound. 
Surrounded by a large staff of young 
men, two ambassadors from Sultan 
Msinga were slowly approaching our 
camp. They strode along with an inde- 
scribable self-possession and dignity, like 
apparitions from another world, clothed 
in the exceedingly picturesque gala cos- 
tume of the Watussi. Bussissi and Nan- 
turu were fine upstanding men of great 
height, over two meters (6 feet 6^ 
inches). They brought the Sultan's 
greetings, and presents of numerous 
oxen, calves, sheep, goats, pigs, etc., and 
were commanded to escort us to their 
sovereign's residence. 
The whole style and manner of their 
address and speech was very striking. 
One received the impression of being in 
the presence of an entirely different class 
of men, who had nothing further in 
common with the "niggers" than their 
dark complexion. The demeanor of our 
carriers, who appeared equally impressed, 
confirmed our view. Having received a 
goodly number of presents in exchange, 
the two emissaries placed themselves as 
leaders at the head of our column. 
By the afternoon we reached the Nia- 
warongo, a tributary of the Kagera, and 
finished our march for the day, for the 
crossing of the small cattle caravans, 
which had now increased to the size of 
several hundred animals, and the trans- 
port of the numerous loads lasted until 
the darkness fell. As the water scarcely 
rose above a meter, the work was simpli- 
fied by forming a chain of men across 
the river. In this way all the loads and 
animals were safely passed from hand to 
hand, and so to the opposite bank. 
We carried commissariat stores in 
abundance, and it was with a certain de- 
gree of anxiety that we observed day by 
day the increase in the number of live 
stock. The approach of a fresh com- 
missariat caravan shortly after our ar- 
rival, with another reinforcement of 
about 30 goats, which had to be assimi- 
lated with the main body, increased our 
anxiety. But it would be difficult to 
describe our irritation when we saw yet 
a third caravan coming down the hill- 
slope with another string of 30 goats, 
which of course made a further inroad 
on our stock of barter goods. All pro- 
tests against our acceptance of the gifts 
were quickly met with "Amri ya Msinga" 
("By order of Msinga"). 
"the GREAT ox ARRIVES WITH HIS 
CALVES'" 
The nearer we approached the Sultan's 
residence the larger grew the number of 
Watussi marching at the head of the ex- 
pedition. We soon became aware that 
the Sultan was preparing a grand recep- 
tion. In all the villages we passed the 
chiefs were absent, and to our inquiries 
as to their whereabouts we were an- 
swered by "Niansa." From all sides of 
the country commissariat caravans and 
herds of small cattle, led by Watussi, 
were heading in the same direction. It 
seemed as though the Sultan had sum- 
moned all the leading men of the king- 
dom to his residence. Many approached 
us and fell in at our van. 
When acquaintances met, they greeted 
one another by putting their arms lightly 
