MESSAGE FROM KING RWOMA. 112, 



" What wonder, then, if intercourse with the King of Uganda and his 

 people induced imagination to paint this possible — nay, probable, picture — 

 that memory should have had engraven deep on it the features of the land 

 and the friendliness and hospitality of its people? As we follow these flights 

 of fancy, we are reminded also almost too vividly of the scenes of terror and 

 misfortune we have lately gone through — of our adventure with a flotilla of 

 canoes manned by drunken natives, who persisted in following us and enter- 

 taining us at sea with their beer and intrusive hospitality; of our escape from 

 an ambuscade of Wageyeya; of our fight with the Wavuma and battle of 

 Kajuri; of the miserable churlishness of many a tribe, of days of starvation, 

 tempestuous nights, and stormy days. These, and a hundred others, now 

 happily past, treasured only in the recollection and my journal, served but to 

 heighten the enjoyment of our rest and to inspire in my heart and in those of 

 my semi-barbarous co-mates in peril a feeling of devout thankfulness to Divine 

 Providence for our protection. 



" I deemed it not only necessary, but politic, to remain inactive for some 

 days, for I hoped that the dilatory Grand Admiral Magassa would appear 

 with his canoes. Indeed, I could suggest no reason, despite our experience 

 at Bambireh, why he should not arrive. He had been to Usukuma on a visit 

 some months previous to my advent in the country, and he was accompanied 

 by two of my best men, who of course would do their utmost to stimulate 

 him to make renewed efforts to reach our camp. But when nine days had 

 passed, and Magassa had not made his appearance, it became obvious to us 

 all that he would not come. Preparations were therefore made to march 

 overland to Uganda along the lake shore. 



" As we were almost ready to start there came an embassy to camp from 

 Rwoma, King of Southern Uzinza or Miveri, bearing a message from him to 

 me. This ran according to the interpreter, as follows : — ' Rwoma sends sa- 

 laams to the white man. He does not want the white man's cloth, beads or 

 wire, and the white man must not pass through his country. Rwoma does 

 not want to see him, or any other man with long red hair down to his shoulders, 

 white face, and big red eyes. Rwoma is not afraid of him, but if the white 

 man will come near his country Rwoma and Mirambo will fight him.' Here 

 indeed, was a dilemma. The lake journey to Uganda was denied us, because 

 Magassa proved recreant to the trust reposed in him by Mtesa ; the land route 

 now became impossible, because Rwoma forbad it. We knew enough of the 

 latter to be aware that he was able to repulse two such Expeditions as ours. 

 He possessed one hundred and fifty muskets of his own, and had several 

 thousand spearmen and bowmen. Besides, Mirambo was but a day's march 

 from Urima, and only three days from our camp. 



" To force a passage through Rwoma's country was therefore out of the 

 question. Even if the feat were possible, it would be bad policy, because the 



