ing, she said, “ That will do ; you look beautiful ; now go
away home;” and off we trotted, the elder sobbing bitterly,
the younger laughing.
As soon as we reached home, my first inquiry was concerning
their histories, of which they appeared to know
but very little. The elder, whom I named Mèri (plantains),
was obtained by Sunna, the late king, as a wife,
from Nkolé ; and though she was a mere Kahala, or girl,
when the old king died, he was so attached to her he
gave her twenty cows, in order that she might fatten up
on milk after her native fashion ; but on Sunna’s death,
when the establishment of women was divided, Mèri fell
to N’yamasoré’s (the queen’s) lot. The lesser one, who
still retains the name of Kahala, said she was seized in
Unyoro by the Waganda, who took her to N’yamasoré, but
what became of her father and mother she could not say.
It was now dinner-time, and as the usual sweet potatoes
and goat’s flesh were put upon my box-table, I asked them
to dine with me, and we became great friends, for they
were assured they would finally get good houses and
gardens at Zanzibar ; but nothing would induce either of
them to touch food that had been cooked with butter.
A dish of plantains and goat-flesh was then prepared;
but though Kahala wished to eat it, Mèri .rejected the
goat’s flesh, and would not allow Kahala to taste it either;
and thus began a series of domestic difficulties. On inquiring
how I could best deal with my difficult charge,
I was told the Wahüma pride was so great, and their
tempers so strong, they were more difficult to break in
than a phunda, or donkey, though, when once tamed, they
became the best of wives.
31sí.—I wished to call upon the queen and thank her
for her charming present, but my hungry men drove me
to the king’s palace in search of food. The gun firing
brought Mtésa out, prepared for a shooting trip, with his
Wakungü leading, the pages carrying his rifle and ammunition,
and a train of women behind. The first thing seen
outside the palace gate was a herd of cows, from which
four were selected and shot at fifty paces by the king,
firing from his shoulder, amidst thunders of applause and
hand-shakings of the elders. I never saw them dare
touch the king’s hand before. Then Mtfea, turning
kindly to me, said, “ Pray take a shot; ” but I waived
the offer off, saying he could kill better himself. Ambitious
of a cut above cows, the king tried his hand at some
herons perched on a tree, and, after five or six attempts,
hit one in the eye. Hardly able to believe in his own
skill, he stood petrified at first, and then ran madly to the
fallen bird, crying “ Woh, woh, woh! can this be?—is
it true ? Woh, woh ! ” He jumped in the air, and all his
men and women shouted in concert with him. Then he
rushes at me, takes both my handsshakes, shakes—
woh, woh ¡—-then runs to his women, then to his men ;
shakes them all, woh-wohing, but yet not shaking or
wohing half enough for his satisfaction, for he is mad
with joy at his own exploit.
The bird is then sent immediately to his mother, whilst
he retires to his palace, woh-wohing, and talking “ ten to
the dozen” all the way, and boasting of his prowess.
“Now, Bana, tell me—do you not think, if two such
shots as you and I were opposed to an elephant, would
he have any chance before us ? I know I can shoot—I
am certain of it now. You have often asked me to go
hippopotamus-shooting with you, but I staved it off until
I learnt the way to shoot. Now, however, I can shoot—
and that remarkably well too, I flatter myself. I will
have at them, and both of us 'will go on the lake together.”
The palace was now reached ; musicians were ordered to
play before the king, and Wakungu appointments were
made to celebrate the feats of the day. Then the royal
cutler brought in dinner-knives made of iron, inlaid with
squares of copper and brass, and goats and vegetables