CHAP. III.] 
I1IS DUPLICITY, 
115 
large a party as that of Mahommed, which mustered 
about two hundred men. 
At that time I really placed dependence upon the 
professions of Mahommed and his people ; they had just 
brought Speke and Grant with them, and had received 
from them presents of a first-class double-barrelled gun 
and several valuable rifles. I had promised not only 
to assist them in their ivory expeditions, but to give 
them something very handsome in addition, and the 
fact of my having upwards of forty men as escort was 
also an introduction, as they would be an addition to 
the force, which is a great advantage in hostile coun¬ 
tries. Everything appeared to be in good train, but I 
little knew the duplicity of these Arab scoundrels. At 
the very moment that they were most friendly, they 
were plotting to deceive me, and to prevent me from 
entering the country. They knew, that should I pene¬ 
trate the interior, the ivory trade of the White Nile 
would be no longer a mystery, and that the atrocities 
of the slave trade would be exposed, and most likely 
be terminated by the intervention of European Powers ; 
accordingly they combined to prevent my advance, and 
to overthrow my expedition completely. The whole of 
the men belonging to the various traders were deter¬ 
mined that no Englishman should pehetrate into the 
country; accordingly they fraternised with my escort, 
