. t^iat is the medicine I wish to have. Can you
not spare some for me?”
Poor Magassa! poor Pokino! poor Katekiro!
He is already watching, while y e t young, in the
prime and vigour o f manhood, for he knoweth
not the hour when the Lord of the Cord may
beckon to him.
It is left for some future traveller to tell us
of his interview with Kasuju, the chief executioner.
THE KABAKA OR EMPEROR.
The curtain rolls up, and discloses a hill covered
with tall conical huts, whose tops peep
out above the foliage o f plantains and bananas,
and lofty fences o f cane. Up the hill’s gradually
ascending slopes run broad smooth avenues,
flanked b y cane palisades, behind which clusters
of huts show g r e y under a blazing sun, am ir)
the verdure o f the le a fy g rove s around them.
The avenues are thronged b y natives, clad in
picturesque costumes. White clothes gleam in
the sunshine, in strong contrast to red and brown.
The people are wending their w a y to the imperial
quarters on the summit o f the hill; While no
ingress is permitted, they crowd around the gates
in social gossip, exchanging morning greetings.
Suddenly the murmur o f voices ceases, and
i he long rumbling roll o f a kettle-drum is heard,
announcing that the monarch is seated on the
burzah. The gates are at once drawn aside,
and a multitude o f chiefs, soldiers, peasants,
strangers rush up tumultuously, through eight
or ten courts, towards the audience-hall, and in
thek noisy haste we may see the first symptoms
of that fawning servility characteristic o t ose
who serve despots.
The next scene we have is a section o
straw house, with a g ab le -ro o f-ab ou t * 5
High, 60 feet long, and 18 feet in‘ bre»d* .
A . th e farther end, b y the hght afforded b y
the wide entrance, w e perceive the figure o f a
man clad inan embroideredscarlet jacketand white
skirt seated on a chair, guarded on either si
by a couple o f spearmen and tw o men bear g
muskets. T h e chiefs and principal men no
hastening through the gates b ow p r o fo u n j r
before him;, some, after.,the Muslims custom,
kiss the palms and back o f his r ig >
others, adhering to the original custom
country, prostrate themselves to the
throwing their hands towards him, exclai ,
kneeling, “ Tw iy an z i, yanzi! after which y
severally betake themselves to their respecuve
seats in order o f rank. T w o l o n g rows o f seated
men are thus formed along the emied^ w alls o f
the haU o f audience, facing towards the centre
which is left vacant for the advent o f f i n g e r s
,„,1 ,1 „;manK. and the transaction o f business,