View of King Mtesas Palace from my Hui>-Uganda.
body might know what great respect he felt for me. In
the meanwhile, however, he wished for some gunpowder.
I packed the pages off as fast as I could with some, and
then tried myself to follow, but my men were all either
sick or out foraging, and therefore we could not get under
way until the evening. After going a certain distance,
we came on a rush-drain, of much greater breadth even
than the Mwdrango, called the Moga (or river) Myanza,
which was so deep I had to take off my trousers and tuck
my clothes under my arms. It flowed into the Mwdrango,
but with scarcely any current at all. This rush-drain, all
the natives assured me, rose in the hills to the southward
—not in the lake, as the Mwdrango did—and it was never
bridged over like that river, because it was always fordable.
This account seemed to me reasonable; for though so much
broader in its bed than the Mwerango, it had no central,
deep-flowing current. The time for judging as to their
relative size, too, was favourable, as it was the height of
the dry season, when most of the long grasses were burnt.
When we were across this great rush-drain it was almost
dark, so I gave orders to spend the night in the most
favourable spot we could find. We had, however, to pass
the late king Sunna’s kibuga or palace before this could
be done, as no eyes were allowed to dwell on the royal
establishments of departed kings.
One march more and we came in sight of the king’s
To Bandawarogo, kibuga or palace, in the province of Bandawa-
mh- rogo, N. lat. 0° 21' 19", and E. long. 32°
44' 30". It was a magnificent sight. A whole hill was
covered with gigantic huts, such as I had never seen in
Africa before. I wished to go up to the palace at once, but
the officers said, “ No, that would be considered indecent
in Uganda; you must draw up your men, and fire your
guns off, to let the king know you are here; we will then
show you your residence, and to-morrow you will doubtless
be sent for, as the king could not now hold a levee