UGANDA AND WEST SIDE OF VICTORIA NYANZA. 263 
end of the long island, and pulled slowly into it. Im- 
mediately the natives rushed down the slopes, shouting 
war-cries and uttering fierce ejaculations. When about 
fifty yards from the shore, I bade the men cease rowing, 
but Safeni and Baraka became eloquent, and said, “ It 
is almost always the case, master, with savages. They 
cry out, and threaten, and look big, but you will see 
that all that noise will cease as soon as they hear us 
speak. Besides, if we leave here without food, where 
shall we obtain it ? ” 
The last argument was unanswerable, and though I 
gave no orders to resume tlieir oars, four of the men 
impelled the boat on slowly, while Safeni and Baraka 
prepared themselves to explain to the natives, who 
were now close within hearing, as they came rushing to 
the water’s edge. I saw some lift great stones, while 
others prepared their bows. 
We were now about ten yards from the beach, and 
Safeni and Baraka spoke, earnestly pointing to their 
mouths, and by gestures explaining that their bellies 
were empty. They smiled with insinuating faces ; 
uttered the words “ brothers,” “ friends,” “ good fellows,” 
most volubly ; cunningly interpolated the words Mtesa 
—the Kabaka — Uganda, and Antari king of Ihangiro, 
to whom Bumbireh belongs. Safeni and Baraka’s 
pleasant volubility seemed to have produced a good 
effect, for the stones were dropped, the bows were 
unstrung, and the lifted spears lowered to assist the 
steady, slow-walking pace with which they now 
advanced. 
Safeni and Baraka turned to me triumphantly and 
asked, s£ What did we say, master?” and then, with 
engaging frankness, invited the natives, who were now 
about two hundred in number, to come closer. The 
natives consulted a little while, and several — now 
smiling pleasantly themselves — advanced leisurely into 
the water until they touched the boat’s prow. They 
stood a few seconds talking sweetly, when suddenly 
with a rush they ran the boat ashore, and then all the 
others, seizing hawser and gunwale, dragged her about 
