.

Palace, Uganda--Continued.
Reception of a Victorious Army at Court--Royal Sport--A Review of the Troops--Negotiations for the Opening of the Road along the Nile--Grant's Return--Pillagings--Court Marriages--The King's Brothers--Divinations and Sacrifices--The Road granted at last--The Preparations for continuing the Expedition--The Departure.
I now received a letter from Grant to say he was coming by boat from Kitangule, and at once went to the palace to give the welcome news to the king.

The road to the palace I found thronged with people; and in the square outside the entrance there squatted a multitude of attendants, headed by the king, sitting on a cloth, dressed in his national costume, with two spears and a shield by his side.

On his right hand the pages sat waiting for orders, while on his left there was a small squatting cluster of women, headed by Wichwezis, or attendant sorceresses, offering pombe.

In front of the king, in form of a hollow square, many ranks deep, sat the victorious officers, lately returned from the war, variously dressed; the nobles distinguished by their leopard-cat skins and dirks, the commoners by coloured mbugu and cow or antelope skin cloaks; but all their faces and arms were painted red, black, or smoke-colour.