Of course I ran imminent risk of losing my own in thus thwarting the capricious tyrant; but his caprice proved the friend of both. The novelty of interference even made him smile, and the woman was instantly released.” Speke had quitted Grant in January, 1862. The two travellers did not meet again till the end of May in the same year. Grant had been constantly ill, and had been unable to make any survey of the lake shore. It was not till the 7th of July that Speke and Grant obtained leave to quit the capricious king on their journey eastwards to the Nile. The day before they started Speke notes:-- “On the way home one of the king’s favourite women overtook us, walking, with her hands behind her head, to execution, crying ‘Nyawo’ in the most pitiful manner. A man was preceding her, but did not touch her; for she loved to obey the orders of her king voluntarily, and in consequence of previous attachment was permitted as a mark of distinction to walk free. Wondrous world! It was not ten minutes since we parted from the king, yet he had found time to transact this bloody piece of business.” On the following morning the king replied to Speke’s farewell remarks “with great feeling and good taste.” The king followed him with his courtiers in a procession to his camp, and exhorted the porters to follow the travellers through fire and water. “Then, exchanging adieus again, he walked ahead in gigantic strides up the hill, the pretty favourite of his harem, Lubuga, beckoning and waving with her little hands, and crying, ‘Bana! Bana!’[71] All showed a little feeling at the severance. We saw them no more.” CHAPTER XIV FROM VICTORIA NYANZA TO ALEXANDRIA On the 28th of July, 1862, Speke stood by the side of the Ripon Falls, where the Victoria Nile leaves the great Nyanza at the head of Napoleon Gulf. Grant had gone off with a portion of the expedition on the more direct route to Unyoro. Speke had reached the Victoria Nile first of all below its exit from the lake, and describes the scene as follows:-- “It was the very perfection of the effect aimed at in a highly kept park, with a magnificent stream of from six to seven hundred yards wide, dotted with islets and rocks,--the former occupied by fishermen’s huts, the latter by birds and crocodiles basking in the sun,--flowing between fine, high grassy banks, with rich trees and plantains in the background, where herds of topi and hartebeest could be seen grazing, while the hippopotami were snorting in the water and bustards and guineafowl were rising at our feet.” [Illustration: THE NILE AT THE ISAMBA RAPIDS (looking North). Where Speke first struck it.] Marching up the left bank of the Nile towards the lake, he thus describes that river at the Isamba rapids:--