386 
THE NATI HE COURT. 
[chap. XIII. 
happy to have seen him before my departure, as I was 
not aware until recently that I had been duped by 
M'Gambi. He answered me very coolly, saying that 
although I had not seen him he had nevertheless seen 
me, as he was among the crowd of native escort on the 
day that we left MTooli. Thus he had watched our 
start at the very place where his brother M’Gambi had 
impersonated the king. 
Kamrasi was a remarkably fine man, tall and well 
proportioned, with a handsome face of a dark brown 
colour, but a peculiarly sinister expression; he was 
beautifully clean, and instead of wearing the bark 
cloth common among the people, he was dressed in a 
fine mantle of black and white goat skins, as soft as 
chamois leather. His people sat on the ground at 
some distance from his throne ; when they approached 
to address him on any subject they crawled upon their 
hands and knees to his feet, and touched the ground 
with their foreheads. 
True to his natural instincts, the king commenced 
begging, and being much struck with the Highland 
costume, he demanded it as a proof of friendship, saying, 
that if I refused I could not be his friend. The watch, 
compass, and double Fletcher rifle were asked for in 
their turn, all of which I refused to give him. He 
appeared much annoyed, therefore I presented him 
with a pound canister of powder, a box of caps, and a 
few bullets. He replied, “ Whats the use of the ammu¬ 
nition if you won't give me your rifle ? ” I explained 
that I had already given him a gun, and that he had 
a rifle of Speke's. Disgusted with his importunity I 
rose to depart, telling him, that “ I should not return 
to visit him, as I did not believe he was the real Kam¬ 
rasi. I had heard that Kamrasi was a great king, but 
that he was a mere beggar, and was doubtless an im¬ 
postor, like M'Gambi.'' At this he seemed highly 
amused, and begged me not to leave so suddenly, as he 
could not permit me to depart empty handed. He then 
gave certain orders to his people, and after a little 
