The information collected by Nassar soon convinced us that the King had spoken in all good faith when he said that he had not received any white man at his court subsequently to the visit paid him by Schweinfurth.
As our interpreter had imagined, the Baron de Guéran must have passed through Munza's dominions without stopping, so as to reach without delay the province governed by Degberra.
In this latter district alone, therefore, can we get any reliable information. But how are we to get there without the consent of the King? How, even, ask at once for that permission, without displeasing our host, who heaps favours upon us and condescends to visit us?
Alas, these visits, which are day by day becoming more frequent, convince us, to our great sorrow, that the African monarch has really fallen in love with our dear companion, and will certainly not allow us to depart.
We had never calculated, I confess, upon complications of this sort; we had reckoned on the natural difficulties of our route, on possible attacks by the natives, the desertion of our escort, fatigue, sickness, discouragement, hunger—we had admitted to ourselves that any or all these obstacles might, perhaps, stand in the way of our success; but it had never entered into our heads to suppose that the love of an African sovereign for our beloved Sultana would bar our onward progress.
We had, as we thought, foreseen everything, and had made all due allowance for accidents of all kinds, whether provoked by the hostility of the elements or of man, and for all obstacles proceeding from Nature herself, ever ready to say to the over-bold—"Thus far, and no further;" but we had never taken into consideration those human passions which, nevertheless, spring into being and burst forth under the burning skies of Africa just as radiantly as they do in our own more temperate clime.
A thousand and one rumours confirmed our suspicions, and heightened our fears. Munza, according to common report, was no longer the somewhat indolent sovereign, passing his life in the contemplation of his treasures, in compelling the admiration of his subjects, dressing himself up in fantastic costumes, and dancing before his court.
He now made preparations for war on a large scale, collecting and stowing away in his armoury weapons of all kinds, his temper was becoming uncertain, he was restless, and occasionally gave way to violent paroxysms of rage.
How will all this end? None of us dare hazard even a guess.
June 20.—I fear that Miss Poles has been up to her little pranks again. Just as I sat down to write Nassar hurried to me, begging me to go to her assistance as quickly as possible.