and as lie saw me searching for a log to sit upon, he made
one of his pages kneel upon all fours and sat upon his
back, acting the monkey in aping myself; for otherwise
he would have sat on a mbiigii, in his customary manner,
spread on the ground. We returned, pushing along, up
one way, then another, without a word, in thorough confusion,
for the king delights in boyish tricks, which he
has learned- to play successfully. Leaving the road
and plunging into thickets of tall grass, the band and
WakungQ. must run for their lives, to maintain the order
of march, by heading him at some distant point of exit
from the jungle; whilst the Kamraviona, leading the pages
and my men, must push head first, like a herd of buffaloes,
through the sharp-cutting grass, at a sufficient rate to
prevent the royal walk from being impeded; and the
poor women, ready to sink with exhaustion, can only be
kept in their places by fear of losing their lives.
We had been out the whole day; still he did not tire of
these tricks, and played them incessantly till near sundown,
when we entered the palace. Then the women and
Wakungu separating from us, we—that is, the king, the
Kamraviona, pages, and myself—sat down to a warm
feast of sweet potatoes and plantains, ending with pombd
and fruit, whilst moist circular napkins, made in the shape
of magnificent wafers out of plantain fibre, acted at once
both the part of water and towel. This over, as the guns
had to be emptied, and it was thought sinful to waste the
bullets, four cows were ordered in and shot by the king.
Thus ended the day, my men receiving one of the cows.
8th.—As Mtfea was tired with his yesterday’s work,
and would not see anybody, I took Liigoi and Kahala,
with a bundle of beads, to give a return to the Mgemma
for his late treat of pombd His household men and
women were immensely delighted with us, but more - so,
they said, for the honour of the visit. They- gave us more
pombd, and introduced us to one of N’yamasorffs numerous
sisters, who was equally charmed with myself and my
children. The Mgemma did not know how he could treat
us properly, he said, for he was only a poor man; but he
would order some fowls, that I might carry them away.
When I refused this offer, because we came to see him,
and not to rob him, he thought it the most beautiful
language, and said he would bring them to the house
himself. I added, I hoped he would do so in company
with his wife, which he promised, though he never dared
fulfil the promise; and, on our leaving, sent all his servants
to escort us beyond the premises. In the evening,
as the king’s musicians passed the camp, I ordered them
in to play the milele, and give my men and children a
treat of dancing. The performers received a bundle of
beads and went away happy. .
g th i^ i called on Congow, but found him absent, waiting
on the king, as usual; and the king sent for my big
rifle to shoot birds with.
10 th.—In consequence of my having explained to the
Ving the effect of the process of distilling, and the way of
doing it, he sent a number of earthen pots and btigixs of
pombfi that I might produce some spirits for him; but as
the pots sent were not made after the proper fashion, I
called at the palace and waited all day in the hope of
seeing him. No one, however, dared enter'his cabinet,
where he had been practising “Uganga” all day, and so
the pombe turned sour and useless. Such are the ways
of Uganda all over.
1 1 th.—The king was out shooting; and as nothing else
could be done, I invited Uledi’s pretty wife Giirikii to eat
a mutton breakfast, and teach my child Meri not to be so
proud. In this we were successful; but whether her
head had been turned, as Bombay thought, or what else,
we know n o t; but she would neither walk nor talk, nor
do anything but lie at full length all day long, smoking
and lounging in thorough indolence.