repose. Here lie ordered fruit to be brought — the
Matungurb, a crimson pod filled with acid seeds, which
has only been observed growing by the rivers or waters
of Uganda — and Kasori, a sort of liquorice-root. He
then commenced eating with us, and begging again, unsuccessfully,
for my compass. I tried again to make him
see the absurdity of tying a charm on Whitworth’s rifle,
but without the least effect. In fact he mistook all my
answers for admiration, and asked me, in the simplest
manner possible, if I would like to possess a charm; and
even when I said “No, I should be afraid of provoking
Liibari’s” (God’s) “ anger if I did so,” he only wondered at
my obstinacy, so thoroughly was he wedded to his belief.
He then called for his wideawake, and walked with us
into another quarter of his palace, when he entered a
dressing-hut, followed by a number of full-grown, stark-
naked women, his valets; at the same time ordering a
large body of women to sit on one side the entrance,
whilst I, with Bombay, were directed to sit on the other,
waiting till he was ready to hold another levee. From this
we repaired to the great throne-hut, where all his Wakungu
at once formed court, and business was commenced.
Amongst, other things, an officer, by name Mbogo, or the
Buffalo, who had been sent on a wild-goose chase to look
after Mr Petherick, described a journey he had made,
following down the morning sun. After he had passed
the limits of plantain-eating men, he came upon men
who lived upon meat alone, who never wore mbtigus,
but either cloth or skins, and instead of the spear they
used the double-edged sime. He called the people Was-
ewe, and their chief Kisawa; but the company pronounced
them to be Masawa (Masai).
After this, about eighty men were marched into the
court, with their faces blackened, and strips of plantain-
bark tied on their heads, each holding up a stick in his
hand in place of a spear, under the regulation that no
person is permitted to carry weapons of any sort in the
palace. They were led by an officer, who, standing like
a captain before his company, ordered them to jump and
praise the king, acting the part of fugleman himself.
Then said the king, turning to me, f Did I not tell you
I had sent many men to fight ? These are some of my
army returned; the rest are coming, and will eventually,
when all are collected, go in a body to fight in Usoga.”
Goats and other peace-offerings were then presented; and,
finally, a large body of officers came in with an old man,
with his two ears shorn off for having been too handsome
in his youth, and a young woman who, after four days’
search, had been discovered in his house. They were
brought for judgment before the king.
Nothing was listened to but the plaintiff’s statement,
who said he had lost the woman four days, and, after considerable
search, had found her concealed by the old man,
who was indeed old enough to be her grandfather. From
all appearances one would have said the wretched girl had
run away from the plaintiff’s house in consequence of ill
treatment, and had harboured herself on this decrepid old
man without asking his leave; but their voices in defence
were never heard, for the king instantly sentenced both
to death, to prevent the occurrence of such impropriety
again; and, to make the example more severe, decreed
that their lives should not be taken at once, but, being
fed to preserve life as long as possible, they were to be
dismembered bit by bit, as rations for the vultures, every
day, until life was extinct. The dismayed criminals,
struggling to be heard, in utter despair, were dragged
away boisterously in the most barbarous manner, to the
drowning music of the milffid and drums.
The king, in total unconcern about the tragedy he had
thus enacted, immediately on their departure said, “ Now,
then, for shooting, Bana; let us look at your gun. It
happened to be loaded, but fortunately only with powder,