I doubt, however, whether one word of my message ever reached her.

That she wanted me at her palace was evident by the present, though she was either too proud or too cautious to say so.
At night I overheard a chat between Sangizo, a Myamuezi, and Ntalo, a freed man of Zanzibar, very characteristic of their way of chaffing.
Sangizo opened the battle by saying, "Ntalo, who are you ?" N."A Mguana" (freed man).

S."A Mguana, indeed! then where is your mother ?" N."She died at Anguja." S."Your mother died at Anguja! then where is your father ?" N."He died at Anguja likewise." S."Well, that is strange; and where are your brothers and sister ?" N."They all died at Anguja." S.
(then changing the word Anguja for Anguza, says to Ntalo) "I think you said your mother and father both died at Anguza, did you not ?" N."Yes, at Anguza." S."Then you had two mothers and two fathers--one set died at Anguja, and the other set at Anguza; you are a humbug; I don't believe you; you are no Mguana, but a slave who has been snatched from his family, and does not know where any of his family are.

Ah! ah! ah!" And all the men of the camp laugh together at the wretched Ntalo's defeat; but Ntalo won't be done, so retorts by saying, "Sangizo, you may laugh at me because I am an orphan, but what are you?
you are a savage--a Mshezi; you come from the Mashenzi, and you wear skins, not cloths, as men do; so hold your impudent tongue";--and the camp pealed with merry boisterous laughter again.
9th .-- Early in the morning, and whilst I was in bed, the king sent his pages to request me to visit his royal mother, with some specific for the itch, with which her majesty was then afflicted.

I said I could not go so far in the sun; I would wait till I received the promised palace near her.