Our impending duties--The stockade of Fort Bodo--Instructions to Lieutenant Stairs--His departure for Kilonga-Longa's--Pested by rats, mosquitoes, &c.--Nights disturbed by the lemur--Armies of red ants--Snakes in tropical Africa--Hoisting the Egyptian flag--Arrival of Surgeon Parke and Captain Nelson from Ipoto--Report of their stay with the Manyuema--Lieutenant Stairs arrives with the steel boat--We determine to push on to the Lake at once--Volunteers to convey letters to Major Barttelot--Illness of myself and Captain Nelson--Uledi captures a Queen of the Pigmies--Our fields of corn--Life at Fort Bodo--We again set out for the Nyanza 350 CHAPTER XIV. TO THE ALBERT NYANZA A SECOND TIME. Difficulties with the steel boat--African forest craft--Splendid capture of pigmies, and description of the same--We cross the Ituri River--Dr. Parke's delight on leaving the forest--Camp at Bessé--Zanzibari wit--At Nzera-Kum Hill once more--Intercourse with the natives--"Malleju," or the "Bearded One," being first news of Emin--Visit from chief Mazamboni and his followers--Jephson goes through the form of friendship with Mazamboni--The medicine men, Nestor and Murabo--The tribes of the Congo--Visit from chief Gavira--A Mhuma chief--The Bavira and Wahuma races--The varying African features--Friendship with Mpinga--Gavira and the looking-glass--Exposed Uzanza--We reach Kavalli--The chief produces "Malleju's" letter--Emin's letter--Jephson and Parke convey the steel boat to the lake--Copy of letter sent by me to Emin through Jephson--Friendly visits from natives 373 CHAPTER XV. THE MEETING WITH EMIN PASHA. Our camp at Bundi--Mbiassi, the chief of Kavalli--The Balegga granaries--Chiefs Katonza and Komubi express contrition--The kites at Badzwa--A note from Jephson--Emin, Casati and Jephson walk into our camp at old Kavalli--Descriptions of Emin Pasha and Captain Casati--The Pasha's Soudanese--Our Zanzibaris--The steamer _Khedive_--Baker and the Blue Mountains--Drs. Junker and Felkin's descriptions of Emin--Proximity of Kabba Rega--Emin and the Equatorial Provinces--Dr. Junker's report of Emin--I discuss with Emin our future proceedings--Captain Casati's plans--Our camp and provisions at Nsabé--Kabba Rega's treatment of Captain Casati and Mohammed Biri--Mabruki gored by a buffalo--Emin Pasha and his soldiers--My propositions to Emin and his answer--Emin's position--Mahomet Achmet--The Congo State--The Foreign Office despatches 393 CHAPTER XVI. WITH THE PASHA--_continued_.