HOSPITALITY OF KING LUKONGEH. 775 



that concerned it, the number of canoes required, the distance we had to 

 travel, and the presents that were to be given by me to the king should 

 he assist me. The king listened attentively, was very affable and kind, 

 depreciated the value of his canoes, said that they were rotten, unfit for a 

 long voyage ; he feared that if he gave them to me I should lose a great 

 many things, and then I would certainly blame him and say, 'Ah ! Lukongeh 

 is bad; he gave me rotten canoes that I might lose my people and property. 

 I replied, that if I lost people and property I might blame the canoes, but 

 I should certainly not think of blaming him. At the end of the conference 

 he said that he would give me as many canoes as I wanted, but in the mean- 

 time the white man's party must rest a few days and taste of Lukongeh's 

 cheer. 



"It were well, perhaps to enter here into a description of Ukerewe, its 

 king and people, and into its annals, which are very curious and instructive, 

 and well explain the history of all the black races of Africa from Kaffraria to 

 Nubia; but I have no time nor space to do them justice. On a future occa. 

 sion, if nothing between happens, I promise to attempt the subject. 



"Lukongeh, the very amiable King of Ukerewe, was no niggard in his 

 hospitality. Beeves, goats, chickens, milk, eggs, bananas and plantains, ripe 

 and green, came in abundance to our camp; neither were large supplies of 

 native beer wanting to cheer the crew during our stay in the land. Finally, on 

 the fifteenth day, Lukongeh came to my tent with his chief councillor, and im- 

 parted to me his secret instructions and advice. He said he had ordered fifty 

 canoes to depart with me to Usukuma, but he doubted much whether that 

 number would leave his country, as his people had heard it reported that I 

 was going to Uganda, which land no one was willing to visit. As he desired 

 to assist me to the utmost of his power, he had been obliged to have recourse 

 to a little strategy. He had caused it to be reported that he had prevailed 

 on me to come and live in his country; it was therefore necessary for me to 

 second his diplomacy. On reaching Usukuma, as soon as all the canoes had 

 been drawn on shore I was to seize them and secure the paddles, and, having 

 rendered the "Wakerewe unable to return, I was to explain to them what I 

 wanted. Having promised that I would implicitly obey him, he sent his 

 Prime Minister and two favourites to assist me in the project ; and after an 

 earnest of what I had promised was given to him, we were permitted to 

 depart. 



" On arriving at our camp in Usukuma, I found only twenty- three 

 canoes had come ashore ; but though these were quite inadequate to convey 

 the Expedition at one time, I resolved to make the best I could of even this 

 small number, and accordingly whispered orders to the captains of the Expedi- 

 tion to muster up their men and seize the canoes and paddles. This was 

 done, and the native craft drawn far on land ; but the Wakerewe, on being 



