186 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOUKNALS. [Chai\ VII. 



chief. She seems to possess a little of the nature of the 

 Ichneumon, which was sacred in Egypt from its destroying 

 serpents. The serpent is in pursuit of mice when killed by 

 puss. 



12th May. — Singeri, the headman of the Baganda here, 

 offered me a cow and calf yesterday, but I declined, as we 

 were strangers both, and this is too much for me to take. 

 I said that I would take ten cows at Mtesa's if he offered 

 them. I gave him a little medicine (arnica) for his wife, 

 whose face was burned by smoking over gunpowder. Again 

 he pressed the cow and calf in vain. 



The reported death of Hamees Wodin Tagh is con- 

 tradicted. It was so circumstantial that I gave it credit, 

 though the false reports in this land are one of its most 

 marked characteristics. They are "enough to spear a 

 .sow." 



13th May. — He will keep His word — the gracious One, 

 full of grace and truth — no doubt of it. He said, " Him 

 that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out," and 

 " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name I will give it." He 

 will keep His word : then I can come and humbly present 

 my petition, and it will be all right. Doubt is here in- 

 admissible, surely. 



D. L. 



Ajala's people, sent to buy ivory in Uganda, were coming 

 back with some ten tusks and were attacked at Ugalla by 

 robbers, and one free man slain : the rest threw everything 

 down and fled. They came here with their doleful tale 

 to-day. 



14th May. — People came from Ujiji to-day, and report that 

 many of Mohamad Bogharib's slaves have died of small-pox 

 —Fundi and Suliman amongst them. Others sent out to 

 get firewood have been captured by the Waha. Mohamad's 

 chief slave, Othman, went to see the cause of their losses 

 .and received a spear in the back, the point coming out at 



