430 
THE KING IN DISTRESS. 
[chap. xy. 
natives who had driven them were killed;—this was 
the result of his precipitate flight. 
The MVa followed up their advantages with unin¬ 
terrupted success, overrunning the entire country even 
to the shores of the Albert Lake, and driving off the 
cattle, together with all the women that had not taken 
refuge upon the numerous islands of the Victoria Nile. 
During this time, Kamrasi and his wives, together with 
his principal chiefs, resided in the misery of mosquitoes 
and malaria on the river;—great numbers of people 
died of disease and starvation. M/Gambi appeared 
frequently at our camp in order to procure corn, and 
from him we received reports of the distress of the 
people ;—his appearance had much changed; he looked 
half starved, and complained that he had nothing to 
drink but Nile water, as they had neither corn, nor 
pots in which they could make merissa, and the MVa 
had destroyed all the plantains, therefore they could 
not prepare cider. 
Among other losses my two cows were reported by 
M’Gambi to have been stolen by the MVas, in company 
with the cattle of Kamrasi with which they had been 
driven from Kisoona. I did not believe it, as he also 
told me that all the luggage that I had left at Deang 
had likewise been stolen by the enemy. But I had 
heard from Bacheeta that the natives of that neigh¬ 
bourhood had carried it (about six loads) direct to 
Kamrasi’s island ; thus it was in his possession at the 
same time that he declared it to have been stolen by 
the MVa. I told him, that I should hold him re¬ 
sponsible, and that he should pay me the value of the 
lost effects in a certain number of cows. A few days 
after this conversation, my cows and the whole of my 
luggage were delivered to me in safety. Kamrasi had 
evidently intended to appropriate them, but being 
pressed by the MVa and his old enemies on the east 
bank of the Nile (the Langgo), who had made common 
cause with the invaders, the time was not favourable 
for a quarrel with either me or the Turks. 
