After dinner the King was determined to do his part, and insisted on our all going up to his home. To our utter amazement we found our court outlined with hundreds of flaming torches, ten to twelve feet long; the bearers were waiting to conduct us to the royal palace. The whole distance was lined with double files of torchbearers, which made the country look like Earl’s Court Exhibition on an exaggerated scale. Big bonfires were burning on the surrounding hills, the torches of guests coming from all directions looked like so many fireflies. On arriving at the Royal Court, we were met with a blaze of fire. Quickly falling into order, the people unanimously shouted a salute to his Majesty and his friends, as we made for the chairs all set out on leopard skins outside the two-storied mud palace. Then the performance began. The Royal band was then in full force. On striking up one of the most weird, discordant tunes, nearly the whole crowd of people broke into dancing, their fluttering, white linen garments flapping about them as wings. More and more excited they got, till they danced so high as to appear held up in mid-air. Then they gave way to the pipers, who performed on instruments made from crude pieces of reed. Singing accompanied this performance—such fantastic tunes, all praising the greatness of their King and exalting in the prowess of his people, with ringing cheers interspersed for England, its King, and King Kasagama. The evening closed in giving us all a longing that the great Edward VII. might have seen how one of his kingly subjects in the heart of Africa had commemorated that important day. CHAPTER XIII Tramp I. To the Albert Edward Lake The year after our arrival in the country my companion and I were again on the tramp toward the Albert Edward Lake, combining an itinerating tour with a holiday. We started under not very propitious circumstances. The wet season was not over, and promised to treat us rather shabbily, for the rain began drifting down just as we had put off from home. We had a small body of caravan porters numbering about fourteen in all, and an ordained native deacon, named Apolo Kivebulaya, as protector and overseer of the forces. He is just one of the best natives you could ever meet.