on and trampling them, nnder, as an elephant would crush
small trees to keep his course. So pushing, floundering
through plantain and shrub, pell-mell one upon the other,
that the king’s pace might not be checked, or any one
come in for a royal kick or blow, they came upon the
prostrate bird. “ Woh, woh, woh!” cried the king again,
“ there he is, sure enough; come here, women—come and
look what wonders!” And all the women, in the highest
excitement, “ woh-wohed ” as loud as any of the men.
But that was not enough. “ Come along, Bana,” said the
king, “ we must have some more sport;” and, saying this,
he directed the way towards the queen’s palace, the
attendants leading, followed by the pages, then the king,
next myself—for I never would walk before him—and
finally the women, some forty or fifty, who constantly
attended him.
To make the most of the king’s good-humour, while I
wanted to screen myself from the blazing sun, I asked him
if he would like to enjoy the pleasures of an umbrella;
and before he had time to answer, held mine over him as
we walked side by side. The Wakungfi were astonished,
and the women prattled in great delight; whilst the king,
hardly able to control himself, sidled and spoke to his
flatterers as if he were doubly created monarch of all he
surveyed. He then, growing more familiar, said, “ Now,
Bana, do tell me—did you not shoot that bird with something
more than common ammunition ? I am sure you
did, now; there was magic in it.” And all I said to the
contrary would not convince him. “ But we will see
again.” “ At buffaloes ? ” I said. “ No, the buffaloes are
too far off now; we will wait to go after them until I
have given you a hut close by.” Presently, as some
herons were flying overhead, he said, “ Now, shoot, shoot!”
and I brought a couple down right and left. He stared,
and everybody stared, believing me to be a magician,
when the king said he would like to have pictures of the
birds drawn and hung up in the palace; “ but let us go
and shoot some more, for it is truly wonderful.” Similar
results followed, for the herons were continually whirling
round, as they had their nests upon a neighbouring
tree | and then the king ordered his pages to carry all
the birds, save the vulture—which, for some reason, they
did not touch—and show them to the queen.
He then gave the order to move on, and we all repaired
to the palace. Arrived at the usual throne-room, he took
his seat, dismissed the party of wives who had been following
him, as well as the Wakungu, received pombe from
his female evil-eye averters, and ordered me, with my
men, to sit in the sun facing him, till I complained of the
heat, and was allowed to sit by his side. Kites, crows,
and sparrows were flying about in all directions, and as
they came within shot, nothing would satisfy the excited
boy-king but I must shoot them, and his pages take them
to the queen, till my ammunition was totally expended.
He then wanted me to send for more shot; and as I told
him he must wait for more until my brothers come, he
contented himself with taking two or three sample grains
and ordering his iron-smiths to make some like them.
Cows were now driven in for me to kill two with one
bullet; but as the off one jumped away when the gun fired,
the bullet passed through the near one, then through all
the courts and fences, and away no one knew where. The
long was delighted, and said he must keep the rifle to
look at for the night. I now asked permission to speak
with him on some important matters, when he sent his
women away, and listened. I said I felt anxious about
the road on which Mabruki was travelling, to which I
added that I had ordered him to tell Petherick to come
here or else to send property to the value of one thousand
dollars; and I felt anxious because some of the
•queen’s officers felt doubtful about Waganda being able
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