with red biaderà round his waist, and a square of red
blanket rolled on his shoulder as a napkin for my gun to
rest on, or in place of a goat-skin rug when he wished to
sit down, I walked off to inquire how the Kamraviona
was, and took my pictures with me.
L&goi’s dress, however, absorbed all their thoughts,
and he was made to take it off and put it on again as
often as any fresh visitor came to call. Hardly a word
was said about anything else ; even the pictures, which
generally are in such demand, attracted but little notice.
I asked the Kamraviona to allow me to draw his pet dog ;
when the king’s sister Miengo came in and sat down'
laughing and joking with me immoderately.
At first there was a demur about my drawing the dog
whether from fear of bewitching the animal or not, I
cannot say ; but instead of producing the pet—a beauti-
fully-formed cream-coloured dog—a common black one
was brought in, which I tied in front of Miengo, and then
drew both woman and dog together. After this unlawful
act was discovered, of drawing the king’s sister without
his consent, the whole company roared with laughter, and
pretended nervous excitement lest I should book them
likewise. One of my men, Sangoro, did not return to
camp last night from foraging ; and as my men suspect
the Waganda must have murdered him, I told the Kam-
ravonia, requesting him to find out ; but he coolly said,
“ Look for him yourselves two days more, for Wanguana
often make friends with our people, and so slip away from
their masters ; but as they are also often murdered, provided
you cannot find him in that time, we will have the
Mganga out.”,
21 si. Last night I was turned out of my bed by a
terrible hue and cry from the quarter allotted to Kozaro
and his Wanyambo companions; for the Waganda had
threatened to demolish my men, one by one, for seizing
their pombé and plantains, though done according to the
orders of the king; and now, finding the Wanyambo
nearest to the road, they set on them by moonlight, with
spear and club, maltreating them severely, till, with reinforcements,
the Wanyambo gained the ascendancy, seized
two spears and one shield as a trophy, and drove their
enemies off. In the morning, I sent the Wakungu off
with the trophies to the king, again complaining that he
had turned my men into a pack of highwaymen, and,
as I foresaw, had thus created enmity between the Waganda
and them, much to my annoyance. I therefore
begged he would institute some means to prevent any
further occurrence of such scenes, otherwise I would use
firearms in self-defence.
Whilst these men were on this mission, I went on a
like errand to the queen, taking my page Lugoi with the
liver medicine. The first object of remark was Lugoi, as
indeed it was everywhere; for, as I walked along, crowds
ran after the little phenomenon. Then came the liver
question; and, finally, what I wanted—her complaint
against my men for robbing on the road, as it gave me
the opportunity of telling her the king was doing what I
had been trying to undo with my stick ever since I left
the coast; and I begged she would use her influence to
correct these disagreeables. She told me for the future to
send my men to her palace for food, and rob no more; in
the meanwhile, here were some plantains for them. She
then rose and walked away, leaving me extremely disappointed
that I could not make some more tangible
arrangement with her — such as, if my men came and
found the gate shut, what were they to do then ? there
were forty-five of them; how much would she allow ?'
&c. &c. But this was a true specimen of the method of
transacting business among the royal family of Uganda.
They give orders without knowing how they are to be
carried out, and treat all practical arrangements as trifling
details not worth attending to.