chap, xiv.] SUDDEN INFUSION OF THE COUNTRY. 397 
At about 9 p.m. one night we were suddenly dis¬ 
turbed by a tremendous din—hundreds of nogaras 
were beating, horns blowing, and natives screaming 
in all directions. I immediately jumped out of bed, 
and buckling on my belt I took my rifle and left the 
hut. The village was alive with people all dressed for 
war, and bearded with cows’ tails, dancing and rushing 
about with shields and spears, attacking imaginary 
enemies. Bacheeta informed me that Fo wo oka’s people 
had crossed the Nile and were within three hours’ 
march of Kisoona, accompanied by a hundred, and 
fifty of Debono’s trading party, the same that had 
formerly attacked Kamrasi in the preceding year in 
company with Rionga’s people. It was reported, that 
having crossed the Nile they were marching direct on 
Kisoona with the intention of attacking the country 
and of killing Kamrasi. M’Gambi, the brother of 
Kamrasi, whose hut was only twenty yards distant, 
immediately came to me with the news : he was in a 
great state of alarm, and was determined to run off 
to the king immediately to recommend his flight. 
After some time I succeeded in convincing him that 
this was unnecessary, and that I might be of great 
service in this dilemma if Kamrasi would come per¬ 
sonally to me early on the following morning. 
The sun had just risen, when the king unceremo¬ 
niously marched into my hut;—he was no longer the 
dignified monarch of Kitwara clothed in a beautiful 
mantle of fine skins, but he wore nothing but a short 
kilt of blue baize that Speke had given him, and a 
scarf thrown across his shoulders. He was dreadfully 
alarmed, and could hardly be persuaded to leave his 
weapons outside the door, according to the custom of 
the country—these were three lances and a double- 
barrelled rifle that had been given him by Speke. I 
was much amused at his trepidation, and observing 
the curious change in his costume, I complimented 
him upon the practical cut of his dress, that was better 
adapted for fighting than the long and cumbrous 
