106 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



deal of his confidence, and has a certain amount of 

 authority on her own account. When proceeding 

 to Kasagama's, I met her and an army of most 

 villainous scoundrels on their way down to the 

 Salt lake. She must have been once good- 

 looking, and is a most affable and gracious lady, 

 but I was not satisfied with her account of the 

 expedition. It was really intended to turn out 

 three minor chiefs, Kasuiri, Kuliafiri, and another, 

 who had refused to fight Kabbarega, which was, 

 of course, exceedingly wrong. They had probably 

 added a crowning touch to their iniquity by sending 

 ivory and provisions to the Suahili garrison at the 

 Salt lake instead of to Kasagama himself. 



The history of this expedition was peculiar. 

 When the first two people of her advanced guard 

 arrived, the erring Kasuiri and his friends fled 

 with all their men. The Queen Mother then 

 asked the Suahili headmen to hand over these 

 two chiefs, as she wanted to kill them. This 

 request was very properly refused. Mukwia, the 

 headman of the Suahilis, then heard (or invented 

 a rumour) that a party of Wanyuema were coming 

 to the Salt lake, and very pluckily (if it was really 

 true that they came at all) went to see them and 

 find out what they wanted. It was said thirty 

 Wanyuema did come simply to buy salt, and they 

 are also said to have wished to settle there and 

 send their ivory to the sea- by Uganda. 



This was a very important commercial proposal 



