the ivory and slave mart. In their file two men and
a girl were in chains together—no doubt recent investments.
Our Seedees, by their curious ways, continued
to amuse us. Our table-attendant, Mabrook, or Burton’s
“ bull-headed Mabruki,” was a thorough African,
so opposite to what an Indian servant is. Ever naked
from head to waist (and looking gross with fatness), he
would come up to “ lay the table,” whistling or singing,
with a bunch of knives, spoons, and forks in his hand;
having placed the tin lids and pots at our feet, he
would squat on the ground beside them and dole out
our dinner. Should he have to clean your plate, a
bunch of grass or a leaf is generally within his reach;
and, if he has to remove the plate, he seldom returns
without wiping his mouth. He chaffs his comrades as
he sits by you; and dinner over, you see him eating
with your spoons and drinking out of the teapot or
the spout of the kettle.
C H A P T E R VIII.
KARAGUE, NOVEMBER 25 TO APRIL 14, 1862—THE ROYAL FAMILY
— HABITS OF THE SIJLTAN RUMANIKA — CRUSADER-LIKE
CUSTOM AT NEW MOON— IDOLATRY— THE SULTAN’S BROTHERS
— DESCRIPTION OF KARAGUE AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD-—
ILLNESS OF THE AUTHOR— ENGLISH GARDEN PEASE— MARKETS,
COFFEE-TRADERS— EARLIEST INFORMATION REGARDING
THE NILE— THE TWO RACES OF KARAGUE, THE WAHUMA AND
WAYAMBO— THE PRINCESSES— ROYAL RESIDENCE— MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS.
The royal family of Karague consisted of three brothers
and their families. Their father, Dagara, had
died about eight years previous to our visit. He had
lived to a good old age; was almost a giant in height,
with leprous hands, of the Wahuma caste; was esteemed
a wise and sagacious prince, and was very popular with
the people. On his death, his body was sewn up in
the skin of a cow, and placed inside a hut, with several
women and cattle, who were there all left to die and
moulder to dust. The question of succession was disputed
by three surviving sons, and the test as to who
should ultimately rule was that some sacred emblem
would be placed before all, and whoever should raise it
from the ground would become the reigning sovereign.