morning, I sent Bombay with some men to say tbat
although I was desirous of seeing him daily, I could not
so expose myself to the sun. In all other countries I
received, as my right, a palace to live in when I called on
the Vi Tig of the country, and unless he gave one now I
should feel slighted; moreover, I should like a hut in the
same enclosure as himself, when I could sit and converse
with him constantly, and teach him the use of the things
I had given him. By Bombay’s account, the king was
much struck with the force of my humble request, and
replied that he should like to have Bana, meaning myself,
ever by his side, but his huts were all full of women, and
therefore it could not be managed; if, however, Bana
would but have patience for a while, a hut should be built
for him in the environs, which would be a mark of distinction
he had never paid to any visitor before. Then
hanging the subject by inspecting my men, he fell so
much in love with their little red “ fez” caps, that he sent
off his pages to beg me for a specimen, and, on finding
them sent by the boys, he remarked, with warm approbation,
how generous I was in supplying his wishes, and
then, turning to Bombay, wished to know what sort of
return-presents would please me best. Bombay, already
primed, instantly said, “ Oh, Bana, being a great man in
his own country, and not thirsting for gain in ivory or
slaves, would only accept such things as a spear, shield,
or drum, which he could take to his own country as a
specimen of the manufactures of Uganda, and a pleasing
recollection of his visit to the king.”
“ Ah,” says Mt^sa, “ if that is all he wants, then indeed
will I satisfy bim, for I will give him the two spears with
which I took all this country, and, when engaged in so
doing, pierced three men with one stab.
“ But, for the present, is it true what I have heard, that
Bana would like to go out with me shooting?” “ Oh,
yes, he is a most wonderful sportsman—shoots elephants
and buffaloes, and birds on the wing. He would like to
go out on a shooting excursion and teach you the way.”
Then turning the subject, in the highest good-humour
the king made centurions of N’yamgundu and Mafila, my
two Wakungu, for their good service, he said, in bringing
bim such a valuable guest. This delighted them so much
that as soon as they could they came back to my camp,
threw themselves at my feet, and n’yanzigging incessantly,
narrated their fortunes, and begged, as a great man, I
would lend them some cows to present to the king as an
acknowledgment for the favour he had shown them. The
cows, I then told them, had come from the king, and could
not go back again, for it was not the habit of white men
to part with their presents; but as I felt their promotion
redounded on myself, and was certainly the highest compliment
their king could have paid me, I would give them
each a wire to make their salaam good.
This was enough; both officers got drunk, and, beating
their drums, serenaded the camp until the evening set in,
when, to my utter surprise, an elderly Mganda woman was
brought into camp with the commander-in-chief’s metaphorical
compliments, hoping I would accept her “ to carry
my water; ” with this trifling addition, that in case I did
not think her pretty enough, he hoped I would not hesitate
to select which I liked from ten others, of “all colours,”
Wahfima included, who, for that purpose, were then waiting
in his palace.
Unprepared for this social addition in my camp, I must
now confess I felt in a fix, knowing full well that nothing
so offends as rejecting an offer at once, so I kept her for the
time being, intending in the morning to send her back
with a string of blue beads on her neck; but during the
night she relieved me of my anxieties by running away,
which Bombay said was no wonder, for she had obviously
been seized as part of some confiscated estate, and without
doubt knew where to find some of her friends.