12th.—I distilled some fresh pombó for the king; and
taking it to him in the afternoon, fired guns to announce
arrival. He was not visible, while fearful shrieks were
heard from within, and presently a beautiful woman, one
of the king’s sisters, with cockscomb erect, was dragged
out to execution, bewailing and calling on her king, the
Kamraviona, and Mzungü, by turns, to save her life.
Would to God I could have done i t ! but I did not know
her crime, if crime she had committed, and therefore had
to hold my tongue, whilst the Kamraviona, and other
Wakungü present, looked on with utter unconcern, not
daring to make the slightest remark. It happened that
Irungü was present in the ante-chamber at this time; and
as Maüla came with my party, they had a fight in respect
to their merits for having brought welcome guests
to their king. Mtésa, it was argued, had given N’yam-
gundü more women and men than he did to Ma.fi k
because he was the first to bring intelligence of our coming,
as well as that of K’yengo, and Süwarora’s hongo to
his king; whilst, finally, he superseded Maüla by taking
me out of his charge, and had done a further good service
by sending men on to Karagüé to fetch both Grant
and K’yengo.
1 Maula, although he had received the second reward,
had literally done nothing, whilst Irungü had been years
absent at Usüi, and finally had brought a valuable hongo,
yet he got less than Maüla. This, Irungü said, was an injustice
he would not stand; N’yamgundü fairly earned his
reward, but Maüla must have been tricking to get more
than himself. He would get a suitable offering of wire,
and lay his complaint in court the first opportunity.
“ Pooh, pooh ! nonsense ! ” says Maüla, laughing j “ I will
give him more wires than you, and then let us see who
will, win the king’s ear.” Upon this the two great children
began collecting wire and quarrelling until the sun
went down, and I went home. I did not return to a
quiet dinner, as I had hoped, but to meet the summons of
the king. Thinking it policy to obey, I found him waiting
my coming in the palace. He made apologies for not
answering my gun, and tasted some spirits resembling
toddy, which I had succeeded in distilling. He imbibed
it with great surprise ; it was wonderful tipple; he must
have some more; and, for the purpose of brewing better,
would send the barrel of an old Brown Bess musket, as well
as more pombd and wood in the morning.
13 th.—As nothing was done all day, I took the usual
promenade in the Seraglio Park, and was accosted by a
very pretty little woman, Kariana, wife of Dumba, who,
very neatly dressed, was returning from a visit. At first
she came trotting after me, then timidly paused, then
advanced, and, as I approached her, stood spellbound at
my remarkable appearance. At last recovering herself,
she woh-wohed with all the coquetry of a Mganda woman,
and a flirtation followed ; she must see my hair, my watch,
the contents of my pockets—everything; but that was
not enough. I waved adieu, but still she followed. I
offered my arm, showing her how to take it in European
fashion, and we walked along, to the surprise of everybody,
as if we had been in Hyde Park rather than in Central
Africa, flirting and coquetting all the way. I was
surprised that no one came to prevent her forwardness;
but not till I almost reached home did any one appear,
and then, with great scolding, she was ordered to return—
not, however, without her begging I would call in and see
her on some future occasion, when she would like to give
me some pombe.
14 th.—As conflicting reports came about Grant, the
king very courteously, at my request, forwarded letters to
him. I passed the day in distilling pombd, and the evening
in calling on Mrs Dumba, with Mdri, Kahaia, Lugoi,
and a troop of Wanyamu^zi women. She was very
agreeable; but as her husband was attending at the