away through the enclosure into the fourth tier of huts ;
for this being a pure levée day, no business was transacted.
K in g c f U g a n d a r e tir in g
The king’s gait in retiring was intended to be very majestic,
but did not succeed in conveying to me that impression.
It was the traditional walk of his race, founded on the step
of the lion; but the outward sweep of the legs, intended
to represent the stride of the noble beast, appeared to me
only to realise a very ludicrous kind of waddle, which
made me ask Bombay if anything serious was the matter
with the royal person.
I had now to wait for some time, almost as an act of
humanity; for I was told the state secret, that the king
had retired to break his fast and eat for the first time
since hearing of my arrival; but the repast was no sooner
over than he prepared for the second act, to show off his
splendour, and I was invited in, with all my men, to the
exclusion of all his own officers save my two guides.
Entering as before, I found him standing on a red blanket,
leaning against the right portal of the hut, talking and
laughing, handkerchief in hand, to a hundred or more
of his admiring wives, who, all squatting on the ground
outside, in two groups, were dressed in new mbügüs.
My men dared not advance upright, nor look upon the
women, but, stooping, with lowered heads and averted
eyes, came cringing after me. Unconscious myself, I
gave loud and impatient orders to my guard, rebuking
them for moving like frightened geese, and, with hat in
hand, stood gazing on the fair sex till directed to sit and
cap.M
tésa then inquired what messages were brought from
Rffmanika; to which Maúla, delighted with the favour of
speaking to royalty, replied by saying, Rumanika had
gained intelligence of Englishmen coming up the Nile to
Gani and Kidi. The king acknowledged the truthfulness
of their story, saying he had heard the same himself; and
both Wakungü, as is the custom in Uganda, thanked their
lord in a very enthusiastic manner, kneeling on the ground
—for no one can stand in the presence of his majesty—
in an attitude of prayer, and throwing out their hands as
they repeated the words N’yanzig, N’yanzig, ai N’yanzig
Mkahma wangi, &c. &c., for a considerable time; when,
thinking they had done enough of this, and heated with
the exertion, they threw themselves flat upon their
stomachs, and, floundering about like fish on land, repeated
the same words over again and again, and rose
doing the same,' with their faces covered with earth; for
majesty in Uganda is never satisfied till subjects have
grovelled before it like the most abject worms. This
conversation over, after gazing at me, and chatting with