Whether he will take the bullet and have war
or whether he will keep the hoe andlcultivate
his fields in peace; and bring his answer to me ”
K y taw a imagined himself and his allies strong-
enough to meet Suna in war, and k ep t the bullet.
en the messenger returned with this answer
buna commanded his Katekiro to make up 300’
man-loads o f hoes and old iron and to send them
to Kytawa, and to sa y to him, “ Suna sends these
hoes and iron to you, for may be that you are
short o f spears, arrow-heads, and hatchets. Make
war-weapons for your people in abundance during
three months, and prepare for war, for in the
fourth month yo u shall see me and my people
m you r country, and I shall eat it up clean, and
there shall nothing be left alive in it.”
This was the last war in which Suna was
engaged. A fter three days’ desperate fighting
the Wazongora and their allies were defeated,
and K y taw a and the confederate kings were
compelled to fly for refuge to the island o f
Kishakka, where th ey were besieged, until all
the kings implored forgiveness, and swore to
become tributary to him.
Falling ill from small-pox, the Emperor accepted
their oaths, and, raising the siege, d e parted
for Uganda. When he perceived that he
was about to die, he called his chiefs together
and commanded them to make Kajumba, his
eldest son, his successor.
This Kajumba, the Prince Imperial, however,
was no favourite with the Waganda, for he
appears to have been a violent, headstrong youth
o f gigantic size and strength. These qualities
recommerided him strongly to Suna, who thought
that with such a successor Uganda would retain
its prestige and supremacy, and apprehended
nothing o f danger to his own people in a person
of such violent passions; and, indeed, it is to be
doubted whether, after exercising with the utmost
licence his own undisputed authority, he even
thought them worthy o f consideratioh.
Kajumba was Suna’s favourite, and the war-
loving father on his deathbed pointed out With
pride to his chiefs the heroic qualities o f the
prince, reminded theih how When a riicre b o y
he had slain a buffalo with a club and an elephant
with a single spear, and assured them With his
latest breath that Kajumba would become lhore
renowned than either lion-like Kimera o f renowned
Nakivingi.
After his father’s death Pririce Kajumba seized
his weighty spear and ample shield and p roclaimed
himself his father’s successor and choice,
and antiounced his determination to uphold his
dignity to the death. T h e chiefs, however,
fearing Kajumba’s violence , laid hands on him,
and bound him hand and foot, and selected the
mild-spoken, large-eyed b o y Mtesa, and made
him Emperor o f Uganda b y acclamation.