wise thing in Europe, but not in Central Africa
as I feared the Wavuma would massacre the
entire party. Mtesa, however, advised b y the
chiefs or one o f the Wangwana, persisted in the
idea, and a favourite page, named Webba, was
about to be sent in a . large canoe with fifty-
men to open negotiations for peace with the
Wavuma, when I entreated that he would listen
to me, and send a small, rotten canoe instead.
He listened to me so far as to send a canoe
manned with only fifteen men. A s th e y were
paddling on, unthinking and undreading danger,
I cried out to Mtesa, who was about twenty
yards from me,: “ S a y farewell to Webba, for
yo u will see little Webba no more.”
The Katekiro and two or three o f his chiefs
smiled as i f this was most absurd. I felt precisely
at this moment as I felt the first time I saw a
bull-fight: a cold shiver o f horror crept over me.
I was helpless and unable to avert the tragedy
which instinct warned me would be enacted.
T he entire Uganda army was concentrated on
the slope o f Nakaranga mountain, and the eyes
o f the vast multitude were fastened upon this
scene; and no doubt they thought as I, did,
that it was a moment o f thrilling interest. The
men o f the Uganda canoe fleet were in their
camps, and the canoes were all beached near
them.
The peace party, held on its w a y until near
Ingira, when one o f them opened a conversation
with the Wavuma, the result o f which was an
invitation to take their canoe in-shore. A s th ey
paddled the canoe gently in among the rushes
that lined the island, I observed that all the
Wavuma gathered together near the place where
the Waganda were expected to land, and that
several Wavuma canoes pushed out in order
that the Waganda might have no chance of escape.
We waited only a few seconds for what was
about to happen. T he canoe o f the peace
party had scarcely touched, their island before
we heard the shrieks o f the unfortunates pealing
across the water, and then the triumphant shouts
of the Wavuma; and soon we saw men rushing
to the point o f their island nearest the causeway,
and with jeers and scoffing they showed the
bloody heads o f the unfortunates to Mtesa,
and tossed them into the lake. Mtesa rose
gloomy and disconcerted, and returned to his
quarters much depressed in spirits, but he gave
instructions to his Katekiro to continue the
work on the causeway, g
The Katekiro, placidly obedient, instructed
two chiefs, the two chiefs instructed their Watongoleh,
the Watongoleh instructed their men, and
the result o f the several instructions was, that
about xoo men out o f 150,000 were seen lounging
idly on the causeway, and that was all, for
the novelty o f the idea had now worn off.