BE A TE OF FREDERICK BARKER. 771 



remains to inform you how we came here, and this, I think, will make a letter 

 second in interest to none I have yet despatched from Africa. I closed my 

 last budget with a description of our reception at camp by the soldiers and 

 porters of the Expedition. When I had given briefly the news of our adven- 

 turous exploration, I demanded a report of Frank Pocock of what had occur- 

 red during my long absence. The principal item of this report was a rumour 

 that had obtained considerable credence among them of the boat having been 

 forcibly seized by the natives of Magu two days after we had left Kagehyi, 

 upon which fifty soldiers had been despatched to effect our release, peace- 

 ably if possible, forcibly if necessary. This report was, of course, false, no- 

 thing of the kind having transpired anywhere near any part of the coast 

 washed by the waters of Speke Gulf. 



"The second item was an account of our fight with the Wavuma, con- 

 siderably exaggerated, and in the main false, because it described the manner 

 of our deaths and the force that attacked us. The third was the discovery of 

 a conspiracy to attack our camp and capture the goods of the Expedition. 

 The conspirators were Kipingiri, Prince of Lutari, Kurrereh, Prince of Kay - 

 enzi, and the chief of Igusa. The plot, however, was discovered to the captains 

 of the camp by Kaduma, the prince in whose village of Kagehyi the Expe- 

 dition was encamped. The captains took immediate measures to defeat this 

 treachery, distributed ammunition to the soldiers, and sent out spies. The 

 device, however, was nipped in the bud by the death of the chief of Igusa 

 and the contumacy of Korrereh. The fourth item was a meeting held by the 

 soldiers and porters of the Expedition, at which it was determined that, if the 

 'Bana Mkuka' (the Great Master) did not return within fifteen days from that 

 date, or the beginning of the new moon, they would strike camp and march 

 for Unyanyembe. I arrived at camp the last day of the old moon, within 

 one day of the intended departure. 



"The fifth item was the death of Frederick Barker, ten days before my 

 arrival. Besides him, six stout fellows had died of dysentery and fever. 

 Young Barker's death saddened me very much, as he was a very promising 

 young man, with sufficient intelligence to appreciate the work of exploration, 

 and likely to continue in it out of mere love for the work. I left him enjoy- 

 ing excellent health, and to all appearance happy. On my return, I found 

 a mound of stones, which his companion, Pocock, pointed out as Barker's 

 grave. 



"I could not help contrasting the colour of my features with those of 

 my European attendant, Pocock. The latter's complexion, from living much 

 indoors, was of the colour of milk, while mine might be compared to a Red 

 Indian's ; the equatorial sun of Africa had painted my face of an intense 

 fiery hue, while my nose was four times peeled, and my eyes were as blood- 

 shot as those of the most savage Andalusian toro that ever matodor killed. 



