ment, such being the neat and cleanly nature of the
Waganda—a pattern to all other negro tribes.
15 th.—As nobody could obtain an interview with the
Mug yesterday, I went to the palace to-day, and fired three
shots—a signal which was at once answered from within
by a double discharge of a gun I had just lent him on his
returning my rifle. In a little while, as soon as he had
time to dress, the king, walking like a lion, sallied forth,
leading his white dog, and beckoned me to follow him to
the state hut, the court of which was filled with squatting
men as usual, well dressed, and keeping perfect order.
He planted himself on his throne, and begged me to sit
by his side. Then took place the usual scene of a court
levee, as described in Chapter X., with the specialty, in
this instance, that the son of the chief executioner one
of the highest officers of state—was led off for execution,
for some omission or informality in his n yanzigs, or
salutes.
At this levee sundry Wakungii of rank complained that
the Wanyambo plundered their houses at night, and rough-
handled their women, without any respect for their greatness,
and, when caught, said they were Bana’s men. Bombay,
who was present, heard the complaint, and declared
these were Suwarora’s men, who made use of the proximity
of my camp to cover their own transgressions. Then
Suwarora’s deputation, who were also present, cringed forward,
n’yanzigging like Waganda, and denied the accusation,
when the king gave all warning that he would find
out the truth by placing guards on the look-out at night.
Till this time the king had not heard one. word about
the defeat of the party sent for Petherick. His kingdom
might have been lost, and he would have been no wiser;
when the officer who led Mabruki came forward and told
him all that had happened, stating, in addition to what I
heard before, that they took eighty men with them, and
went into battle three times unsuccessfully. Dismissing
business, however, the king turned to me, and said he
never saw anything so wonderful as my shooting in his
life; he was sure it was done by magic, as my gun never
missed, and he wished I would instruct him in the art.
When I denied there was any art in shooting, further than
holding the gun straight, he shook his head, and getting
me to load his revolving pistol for him, he fired all five
barrels into two cows before the multitude. He then
thought of adjutant-shooting with ball, left the court sitting,
desired me to follow him, and, leading the way, went
into the interior of the palace, where only a few select
officers were permitted to follow us. The birds were wild,
and as nothing was done, I instructed him in the way to
fire from his shoulder, placing the gun in position. He was
shy at first, and all the people laughed at my handling
royalty like a schoolboy; but he soon took to it very good-
naturedly, when I gave him my silk necktie and gold
crest-ring, explaining their value, which he could not comprehend,
and telling him we gentlemen prided ourselves
on never wearing brass or copper.
He now begged hard for shot; but I told him again his
only chance of getting any lay in opening the road onwards
; it was on this account, I said, I had come to see
liim to-day. He answered, “ I am going to send an army
to Usoga to force the way from where your men were
turned back.” But this, I said, would not do for me, as I
saw his people travelled like geese, not knowing the direction
of Gani, or where they were going to when sent. I
proposed that if he would call all his travelling men of
experience together, I would explain matters to them by
a map I had brought; for I should never be content till
I saw Petherick.
The map was then produced. He seemed to comprehend
it immediately, and assembled the desired Wakungu;
but, to my mortification, he kept all the conversation to
himself, Waganda fashion; spoke a lot of nonsense; and