CHAP. VI.] 
FURTHER CONVERSATION. 
251 
Giving up tlie religious argument as a failure, I 
resolved upon more practical inquiries. 
The Turks had only arrived in the Latooka country 
in the preceding year. They had not introduced the 
cowrie shell; but I observed that every helmet was 
ornamented with this species; it therefore occurred to 
me that they must find their way into the country 
from Zanzibar. 
In reply to my inquiries, Com moro pointed to the 
south, from which he said they arrived in his country, 
but he had no idea from whence they came. The 
direction was sufficient to prove that they must be 
sent from the east coast, as Speke and Grant had 
followed the Zanzibar traders as far as Karagwe, the 
2° S. lat. 
Commoro could not possibly understand my object 
in visiting the Latooka country; it was in vain that 
I attempted to explain the intention of my journey. 
He said, “ Suppose you get to the great lake, what will 
you do with it ? What will be the good of it ? If 
you find that the large river does flow from it, what 
then ? What/s the good of it ?” 
I could only assure him, that in England we had an 
intimate knowledge of the whole world, except the 
interior of Africa, and that our object in exploring 
was to benefit the hitherto unknown countries by 
