CHAP. TI.] 
ARRIVAL OF SPFKF AND GRANT. 
69 
salutes as usual with, ball cartridge, they shot one of 
my donkeys; a melancholy sacrifice as an offering at 
the completion of this geographical discovery/’ 
When I first met them they were walking along the 
bank of the river towards my boats. At a distance of 
about a hundred yards I recognised my old friend 
Speke, and with a heart beating with joy I took off 
my cap and gave a welcome hurrah ! as I ran towards 
him. For the moment he did not recognise me ; ten 
years’ growth of beard and moustache had worked a 
change; and as I was totally unexpected, my sudden 
appearance in the centre of Africa appeared to him 
incredible. I hardly required an introduction to his 
companion, as we felt already acquainted, and after the 
transports of this happy meeting we walked together 
to my diahbiah ; my men surrounding us with smoke 
and noise by keeping up an unremitting fire of musketry 
the whole way. We were shortly seated on deck under 
the awning, and such rough fare as could be hastily 
prepared was set before these two ragged, care-worn 
specimens of African travel, whom I looked upon with 
feelings of pride as my own countrymen. As a good 
ship arrives in harbour, battered and torn by a long 
and stormy voyage, yet sound in her frame and sea¬ 
worthy to the last, so both these gallant travellers 
arrived in Gondokoro. Speke appeared the more worn 
of the two; he was excessively lean, but in reality he 
was in good tough condition ; he had walked the whole 
way from Zanzibar, never having once ridden during 
that wearying march. Grant was in honourable rags ; 
his bare knees projecting through the remnants of 
trowsers that were an exhibition of rough industry in 
tailor s work. He was looking tired and feverish, but 
both men had a fire in the eye that showed the spirit 
that had led them through. 
They wished to leave Gondokoro as soon as possible, 
en route for England, but delayed their departure until 
the moon should be in a position for an observation 
for determiniug the longitude. My boats were fortu- 
