POCOCK'S SECOND LETTER. 797 



with, I should say, two thousand people around him, all armed with some- 

 thing. I went with nothing in my hands nor in those of my men, so that he 

 should think we were friends. He had me to sit down beside him and my 

 boy to speak at our feet. He looked at me and smiled ; he touched my hair, 

 and wanted me to show it all. When I took off my hat the people all laughed, 

 but I did not mind that, as it would not do to get out of temper. Then he 

 looked at my shoes, which surprised him very much. He laughed and talked 

 about my dress. He had about twenty fathoms of light brass wire round his 

 legs and large rings on his arms, beads on his neck, and a fine cloth — nothing 

 on his head — that is the custom. A fine-made man ; he stands six feet or more. 

 His name is Lukongu. He and his people are very kind. As soon as I 

 asked him about the canoes he said I should have fifty the next day, but I 

 had to stop six days for them to be repaired. He gave me two fine bullocks, 

 and sent me milk night and morning (it was fine milk), eggs, and bananas, 

 which are very plentiful ; for miles there is nothing but banana trees. The 

 women brought me flour, but not like that at home, sweet potatoes, and 

 tobacco. I gave him presents — a gold ring and an Albert chain, a black 

 necklace and some cloth. I gave him a rug — one colour one side and another 

 the other. That surjjrised him more than all. When I returned I had forty- 

 seven canoes, but they went back the next day and the master with them. 

 Dear parents, I have no more to say about the king. 



" Uganda, Lake Victoria Nyanza, Central Africa, 

 August 14, 1875. 

 " My Dear Parents — I dare say you think the time long since we left 

 home. Twelve months yesterday we left our native land. I wrote a letter 

 two months ago, but I cannot say which will be home first. We have crossed 

 the great lake in canoes to escape a savage country. We arrived at the lake 

 on February 27th, 1875, and did not leave until June 19th. We then con- 

 veyed some goods and men to an uninhabited island in the sea, where I was 

 left in charge again until the remainder of the men came. We then worked 

 from one island to another until we fell in with some Uganda canoes that 

 were sent to find the white man during the time Mr. Stanley was surveying 

 the lake, and he went to an island to buy food. They took the oars out of 

 the boat and told him to perish in the Nyanza. With our canoes and the 

 Uganda we went there to fight, and killed about forty or more, and not one 

 of us got a scratch. We returned to camp on a small island near it, with joy. 

 Our comrades had made ready with songs and shouts. The next day we 

 went to the mainland, where food was abundant. Bananas is the main food 

 of the natives. They keep cattle, but seldom kill one, because they are their 

 riches. They brought the white men milk, eggs, coffee, etc. As soon as we 

 landed the natives all ran away. The King of Uganda is a fine man. Mr. 



