292 
PASSAGE OF TEE RIVER FORBIDDEN. [chap. x. 
resist them, about three hundred of Kamrasi’s men 
had been killed in the fight. The king had, there¬ 
fore, given orders that, upon pain of death, no stranger 
should cross the river. He continued : that when they 
saw our people marching along the bank of the river, 
they imagined them to be the same party that had 
attacked them formerly, and they were prepared to 
resist them, and had sent on a messenger to Kamrasi, 
who was three days’ march from Karuma at his capital 
M’rooli; until they received a reply, it would be im¬ 
possible to allow us to enter the country. He promised 
to despatch another messenger immediately to in¬ 
form the king who we were, but that we must cer¬ 
tainly wait until his return. I explained that we had 
nothing to eat, and that it would be very incon¬ 
venient to remain in such a spot; that I considered 
the suspicion displayed was exceedingly unfair, as they 
must see that my wife and I were white people like 
Speke and Grant, whereas those who had deceived 
them were of a totally different race, all being either 
black or brown. 
I told him that it did not much matter; that I had 
very beautiful presents intended for Kamrasi; but that 
another great king would be only too glad to accept 
them, without throwing obstacles in my way. I should 
accordingly return with my presents. 
At the same time I ordered a handsome Persian 
carpet, about fifteen feet square, to be displayed as one 
of the presents intended for the king. The gorgeous 
colours, as the carpet was unfolded, produced a general 
exclamation; before the effect of astonishment wore 
off, I had a basket unpacked, and displayed upon a 
cloth a heap of superb necklaces that we had prepared 
while at Obbo of the choicest beads, many as large 
as marbles, and glittering with every colour of the 
rainbow. The garden of jewels of Aladdin’s wonderful 
lamp could not have produced more enticing fruit. 
Beads were extremely rare in Kamrasi’s land ; the few 
that existed had arrived from Zanzibar, and all that I 
