"Well," I Said, "That Is All Very
Interesting, But What Next?
- Will the big king see us?" "O no;
by the very best good fortune in the world, on going into the
palace I saw Suwarora, and spoke to him at once; but he was so
tremendously drunk, he could not understand me." "What luck was
there in that?" I asked.
On which Bombay said, "Oh, everybody in
the place congratulated me on my success in having obtained an
interview with that great monarch the very first day, when Arabs
had seldom that privilege under one full month of squatting; even
Masudi had not yet seen him." To which Nasib also added, "Ah,
yes - indeed it is so - a monstrous success; there is great
ceremony as well as business at these courts; you will better see
what I mean when you get to Uganda. These Wahuma kings are not
like those you ever saw in Unyamuezi or anywhere else; they have
officers and soldiers like Said Majid, the Sultan at Zanzibar."
"Well," said I to Bombay, "what was Suwarora like?" "Oh, he is a
very fine man - just as tall, and in the face very like Grant; in
fact, if Grant were black you would not know the difference."
"And were his officers drunk too?" "O yes, they were all drunk
together; men were bringing in pombe all day." "And did you get
drunk?" "O yes," said Bombay, grinning, and showing his whole
row of sharp-pointed teeth, "they WOULD make me drink; and then
they showed me the place they assigned for your camp when you
come over there.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 240 of 767
Words from 65615 to 65884
of 210958
