第90章

ON15thJanuary，1873，thesentryontherockcitadelreportedapartyarrivingfromtheUnyororoad。Shortlyafter，thereportsofgunswereheard，anditwasmadeknownthatenvoyshadarrivedfromM’tese，thekingofUganda，togetherwithanescortofnatives，andtwoofmysoldiersfromRionga。M’tese’speoplewerearmedwithguns。

Theenvoyswerequicklyusheredintothenewdivan，whichwasacircular，loftybuilding，twentyfeetindiameter，neatlyplastered，andpaintedlightgreywithamixtureofwood-ashes。

AliJusef，theprincipalenvoy，wasanativeofSishuaali，onthecoastsoftheRedSeaentrance，andtheIndianOcean。Ihadseveralofficerswhowerenativesofthesamecountry，includingthegallantFerritchAghaandSaidAgha：thusIhadexcellentinterpreters。

Theenvoyswerebeautifullyclean，inwhiteBombaycottonclothes，andtheywerequitecivilized，andasintelligentasEuropeans。TheyappearedtohaveathoroughknowledgeoftheroutetoIndia，andthevarioustribesalongtheeasterncoastofequatorialAfrica。

Thesepeoplegavememuchusefulinformation；andIshall，asusualinthiswork，simplyextractfrommyjournaltheexactentrymadeatthemomentwheneverIreceivedgeographicalreportsfromthenatives：thusI

shallgivetothepublictheunpolishedstatementspreciselyasIheardthem；uponwhichdatatheoreticalgeographersmayformtheirownopinions。”Theenvoysreport，thatfromUjiji(pronouncedbythemUyeye)youcantravelbylakedirecttoMagungo，thelakebeingtheM’wootanN’zige。”TheVictoriaN’yanzaiscalledbytwonames，’Sessy’or’Kurewe。’

Althoughlarge，itissmallincomparisonwiththeM’wootanN’zige”

TherewasnonewsofLivingstone；but，accordingtomyrequestfromMasindi，M’tesehadsenteverywhereinsearchofhim，andhehadforwardedmytwolettersaddressedtohimindifferentdirections。

Theking，M’tese，hadwrittenmealetterexpressinggreatfriendship，anddeclaringthatwhenthenewsofKabbaRega’streacheryhadreachedhim，hehadsentanarmyunderGeneralCongow，tobeplacedatmydisposal。

ThisarmywasnowquarteredatMashudi，(twodays’marchfromRionga’sisland，ontheroadtoMasindi)waitingformyorders。M’tesebeggedmetovisithimassoonaspossible，asheonlyhadonedesire，i。e。”toseemyface，”andthathe”didnotwishforpresents。”

ThiswasamodelAfricanpotentate；atthesametimeIcouldnotpossiblyvisithim，asmytermofservicewouldexpireuponthe1stofApril。

Iwasmuchdisappointedatthisimpossibility，asM’tesecandomoreforCentralAfricathananyotherpotentate。HebehavedwelltoSpekeandGrant，andhehadbeenverytruetome。

On11thFebruary，freshenvoysarrivedfromM’tese，includingmyoldfriendWaysooah，whowasasusualdressedverycarefullyinIndiancostume，withahandsomely-workedcottonrobe。

M’tesehadwrittenmeanotherletterinArabic，beggingmetosendhimoneofmysoldiersasmyrepresentative，ifIcouldnotcomepersonally。

TheroadwasnowdeclaredtobepracticallyopenbetweenFatikoandZanzibarbymeansofM’tese’sfriendship。

Thisexcellentman，whowasnowaMohammedan，andkeptanArabsecretary，hadalreadysenttoUjijiinsearchofLivingstone，accordingtomyrequest，andhismessengershadreturnedwiththenews，”thathehadbeenatUjiji，andhadcrossedthelaketothewest；sincewhich，nothinghadbeenheardofhim。”

M’tese’speoplewerestillinsearchofLivingstone。Ujijiwasdeclaredtobeonthe”M’wootanN’zige，”i。e。theAlbertN’yanza。

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