These people gave me much useful information; and I shall, as usual in this work, simply extract from my journal the exact entry made at the moment whenever I received geographical reports from the natives: thus I shall give to the public the unpolished statements precisely as I heard them; upon which data theoretical geographers may form their own opinions.
"The envoys report, that from Ujiji (pronounced by them Uyeye) you can travel by lake direct to Magungo, the lake being the M'wootan N'zige.
"The Victoria N'yanza is called by two names, 'Sessy' or 'Kurewe.'
Although large, it is small in comparison with the M'wootan N'zige"
There was no news of Livingstone; but, according to my request from Masindi, M'tese had sent everywhere in search of him, and he had forwarded my two letters addressed to him in different directions.
The king, M'tese, had written me a letter expressing great friendship, and declaring that when the news of Kabba Rega's treachery had reached him, he had sent an army under General Congow, to be placed at my disposal.
This army was now quartered at Mashudi, (two days' march from Rionga's island, on the road to Masindi) waiting for my orders. M'tese begged me to visit him as soon as possible, as he only had one desire, i.e. "to see my face," and that he "did not wish for presents."
This was a model African potentate; at the same time I could not possibly visit him, as my term of service would expire upon the 1st of April.
I was much disappointed at this impossibility, as M'tese can do more for
Central Africa than any other potentate. He behaved well to Speke and
Grant, and he had been very true to me.
On 11th February, fresh envoys arrived from M'tese, including my old friend Waysooah, who was as usual dressed very carefully in Indian costume, with a handsomely-worked cotton robe.
M'tese had written me another letter in Arabic, begging me to send him one of my soldiers as my representative, if I could not come personally.