as necessary as anything ? The thanks are rendered by
grovelling on the ground, floundering about and whining
after the manner of happy dogs, after which they rise up
suddenly, take up sticks—spears are not allowed to be
carried in court—make as if charging the king, jabbering
as fast as tongues can rattle, and so they swear fidelity
for all their lives.
This is the greater salutation; the lesser one is performed
kneeling in an attitude of prayer, continually
throwing open the hands, and repeating sundry words.
Among them the word “ n’yanzig ” is the most frequent
and conspicuous; and hence these gesticulations receive
the general designation n’yanzig—a term which will be
frequently met with, and which I have found it necessary
to use like an English verb. In consequence of these
salutations, there is more ceremony in court than business,
though the king, ever having an eye to his treasury,
continually finds some trifling fault, condemns the head
of the culprit, takes his liquidation-present, if he has
anything to pay, and thus keeps up his revenue.
No one dare stand before the king whilst he is either
standing still or sitting, but must approach him with
downcast eyes and bended knees, and kneel or sit when
arrived. To touch the king’s throne or clothes, even by
accident, or to look upon his women, is certain death.
When sitting in court holding a levee, the king invariably
has in attendance several women, Wabandwa, evil-eye
averters or sorcerers. They talk in feigned voices raised
to a shrillness almost amounting to a scream. They wear
dried lizards on their heads, small goat-skin aprons trimmed
with little bells, diminutive shields and spears set off with
cock-hackles—their functions in attendance being to administer
cups of marvva (plantain-wine). To complete
the picture of the court, one must imagine a crowd of
pages to run royal messages; they dare not walk, for such
a deficiency in zeal to their master might cost their life.
A further feature of the court consists in the national symbols
already referred to—a dog, two spears, and shield.
With the company squatting in a large half-circle or
three sides of a square many deep before him, in the
hollow of which are drummers and other musicians, the
king, sitting on his throne in high dignity, issues his
orders for the day much to the following effect:—“ Cattle,
women, and children are short in Uganda; an army must
be formed of one to two thousand strong, to plunder
Unyoro. The Wasoga have been insulting his subjects,
and must be reduced to subjection: for this emergency
another army must be formed, of equal strength, to act
by land in conjunction with the fleet. The Wahaiya
have paid no tribute to his greatness lately, and must be
taxed.” For all these matters the commander-in-chief tells
off the divisional officers, who are approved by the king,
and the matter is ended in court. The divisional officers
then find subordinate officers, who find men, and the army
proceeds with its march. Should any fail with their
mission, reinforcements are sent, and the runaways, called
women, are drilled with a red-hot iron until they are men
no longer, and die for their cowardice. All heroism, however,
ensures promotion. The king receives his army of
officers with great ceremony, listens to their exploits, and
gives as rewards, women, cattle, and command over men—
the greatest elements of wealth in Uganda—with a liberal
hand.
As to the minor business transacted in court, culprits
are brought in bound by officers, and reported. At once
the sentence is given, perhaps awarding the most torturous,
lingering death—probably without trial or investigation,
and, for all the king knows, at the instigation of some one
influenced by wicked spite. If the accused endeavour to
plead his defence, his voice is at once drowned, and the
miserable victim dragged off in the roughest manner
R