,492 LETTERS TO DR. SCHWEINFURTH. 



arrived, and preparations were being made to relieve Lado. 

 At last, on the i8tk, the longed-for news came that Kabrega's 

 men were on the way. A letter from Kabrega informed me 

 that their departure had been delayed because the Arabs had 

 no wares ; he had not, however, granted the Zanzibar men 

 permission to come here. On the 23d the men arrived, and 

 with them seven boys whom Kabrega had sent to learn to 

 read and write Arabic, and a chief, who was to remain here 

 " to manage the speedy despatch of letters," i.e., to keep a watch 

 on us all, and to inform Kabrega of all occurrences, and send 

 him news as quickly as possible. Kabrega writes that my 

 presents had arrived, and he also sends some to me, begging 

 my acceptance of them ; then follows a very respectable list of 

 articles which he wishes to be despatched to him. I quote some 

 of these demands for your edification : ammunition for his 

 revolvers, a couple of asses, a thousand sheets of paper, an 

 Arabic book, boots, shoes, illustrated papers, a trumpet, a drum, 

 medicines, a parasol, a screw-driver, files, needles, buttons, &c. 

 He sends a curious request for me to teach the seven young- 

 sters he has sent to read and write industriously (the language 

 of the Nassara),'"" and not to let them play. In a second letter 

 he repeats his invitation to me, and says that the Arabs had 

 sent to Uganda for goods : he sends what was in store. " I 

 have sent your letters, not to the Nassara (probably the Eng- 

 lish in Uganda are meant), but to Zanzibar. I have also heard 

 that English and Americans have arrived in Usukuma, and, 

 if you come to me, you will hear all with your own ears, 

 whether it be good or bad." If Kabrega has really sent my 

 letters direct to Zanzibar by the Arabs, I am not exactly 

 pleased, but there will always be quid pro quos till Junker 

 makes up his mind to go to Uganda. Kabrega's men say 

 that a steamer brought by Europeans has been attacked by the 

 Waganda in the north of the Victoria Lake, and after the 

 loss of a European, has steamed off to the south. Probably 

 it is all a myth. It is a fortunate thing that I received a 

 quantity of cloths at Christmas. All got a share of them, 

 heathens and Christians, so that we look quite respectable 



* The language of the Christians. 



