This meeting, as might be imagined, was a very dull
one, because the company, being tongue-tied as regards
everything of external interest, occupied themselves solely
on matters of home business, or indulged their busy
tongues, Waganda fashion, in gross flattery of their
“ illustrious visitor.” In imitation of the king, the Kam-
raviona now went from one hut to another, requesting us
to follow that we might see all his greatness, and then took
me alone into a separate court, to show me his women,
some five-and-twenty of the ugliest in Uganda. This, he
added, was a mark of respect he had never conferred on
any person before; but, fearing lest I should misunderstand
his meaning and covet any of them, he said, "Mind
they are only to be looked at.”
As we retired to the other visitors, the Kamraviona, in
return for some courteous remarks of mine, said all the
Waganda were immensely pleased with my having come
to visit them ; and as he heard my country is governed
by a woman, what would I say if he made the Waganda
dethrone her, and create me king instead ? Without
specially replying, I showed him a map, marking off the
comparative sizes of British and Waganda possessions,
and shut him up. The great Kamraviona, or commander-
in-chief, with all his wives, has no children, and was eager
to know if my skill could avail to remove this cloud in
his fortunes. He generously gave me a goat and eggs,
telling my men they might help themselves to plantains
from any gardens they liked beyond certain limits, provided
they did not enter houses or take anything else.
He then said he was tired, and walked away without
another word.
On returning home I found Nasib and Matila waiting
for me, with all the articles that had been returned to
the queen very neatly tied together. They had seen her
majesty, who, on receiving my message, pretended excessive
anger with her doorkeeper for not announcing my
arrival yesterday—flogged him severely—inspected all the
things returned—folded them up again very neatly with
her own hands—said she felt much hurt at the mistake
which had arisen, and hoped I would forgive and forget
it, as her doors would always be open to me.
I now had a laugh at my friends Maiila and Bombay
for their misgivings of yesterday, telling them I knew
more of human nature than they d id ; but they shook
their heads, and said it was all very well Bana having
done it, but if Arabs or any other person had tried the
same trick, it would have been another affair. “ Just
so,” said I ; “ but then, don’t you see, I know my value
here, which makes all the difference you speak of.”
18 th.-—Whilst walking towards the palace to pay the
Vi rig a friendly visit, I met two of my men speared on
the head, and streaming with blood; they had been trying
to help themselves to plantains carried on the heads
of Waganda; but the latter proving too strong, my
people seized a boy and woman from their party as witnesses,
according to Uganda law, and ran away with
them, tied hand and neck together. With this addition
to my attendance I first called in at the Kamraviona’s for
justice ; but as he was too proud to appear at once, I went
on to the king’s, fired three shots as usual, and obtained
admittance at once, when I found him standing in a yard,
dressed in cloth, with his iron chair behind him, and my
double-gun loaded with half charges of powder and a few
grains of iron shot, looking eagerly about for kites to
fly over. His quick eye, however, readily detected my
wounded men and prisoners, as also some Wazinza prisoners
led in by Waganda police, who had been taken
in the act of entering Waganda houses and assailing their
women. Thus my men were cleared of a false stigma ;
and the king, whilst praising them, ordered all the Wazinza
to leave his dominions on the morrow.
The other case was easily settled by my wounded men