Although Masindi was a large town, I was struck by the absence of
females. The only women that I saw were two, one of whom was the pretty
wife of Umbogo the dragoman. It has already been explained, that the
absence of women generally denotes hostility, but as the rainy season
necessitated hard work, I accepted the explanation.
The corn for the supply of Masindi was brought from a distance of two
days' journey, and numbers of people were daily employed in going to and
fro for the general provisions of the station.
The slave-hunters belonging to Suleiman, who were now prisoners under a
guard, numbered twenty-five men: I employed these people daily to clear
away the high grass, which was piled and burnt, the ashes were then
spread, and the ground was hoed up and thoroughly prepared by the
troops.
It was in vain that I urged upon Kabba Rega and his chiefs the necessity
of cultivation for the supply of corn requisite for the troops. Every
day they promised to clear away the grass, provided the soldiers would
then dig and prepare the ground. This I agreed to do, but the natives
showed no intention of working.
I began to suspect that Kabba Rega had an objection to a large open
clearing. The tactics of all natives are concealment; if a man is
frightened, he hides in the grass; in case of hostilities, the high
grass is a fortress to the negro. It became evident that we were to
remain surrounded by this dense herbage, which not only obstructed the
view, but rendered the station damp and dreary.
I explained to the chiefs the folly of Kabba Rega in thus neglecting
such magnificent soil, which, with a little labour, would produce all
that we could require, and would save both him and his people the
trouble of feeding us. At the same time I set all hands of my own people
to clear a large space and to make gardens.
Unyoro had always been a country of cowardice and suspicion, and I could
plainly see that we were narrowly watched. Kabba Rega usually sat in his
public divan from about two p.m. till 4 daily, to transact public
business. This large circular building was extremely neat, and the
ground was carefully strewed with the long fringes of the papyrus rush,
after the fashion of our ancestors in England, who, before the
introduction of carpets, strewed the floor with rushes.
The young king informed me that, as he wished to be in constant
communication with me personally, he should build a new divan within a
few yards of my residence, so that we could converse upon all occasions
without being watched by his people.
This was merely an excuse for erecting a building within fifty yards of
my house, from which his guards could watch all that happened, and
report everything to their master.
The new building was constructed with wonderful quickness, and prettily
walled with canes inside to resemble basket-work.
Kabba Rega came to his new divan, attended by a number of his guards, or
bonosoora, armed with guns. To give him confidence, I went to see him
unattended, except by Lieutenant Baker and my ever-faithful attendant,
Monsoor, who did not at all approve of my going unarmed.
The conversation quickly turned upon guns. Kabba Rega was delighted with
the mechanism of Monsoor's snider rifle, which he at once understood and
explained to his body-guard. He appeared to have quite lost his shyness;
and he begged me to consider him simply in the light of my own son, and
to give him all the merchandise AT ONCE that I had brought with me to
establish a new trade.
I told him that fathers did not give their sons all their property at
once; but that if I saw that he performed his duty to the Khedive, he
need not fear. I had both the power and the good-will to reward him.
He continued the conversation precisely according to his late father
Kamrasi's style: "I have no one but yourself to regard. Does not a
father consider the interests of his son? You were my father's friend;
and I have always looked for your return. I knew that Abou Saood was a
liar when he spoke against you; I knew that he was an impostor when he
announced himself as the son of a sultan. Would the son of a sultan only
give me a present of an old carpet and a dirty washing-basin? I always
said, 'Wait till the Pacha comes', Mallegge, (Mallegge, or the Man with
the Beard, was my nickname in Unyoro during my former journey.) my
father's friend. He is truly a great man, who does not travel
empty-handed; and he will bring me presents worth my acceptance - things
that the impostor, Abou Saood, does not understand the use of.' By the
by, there was a magic instrument with which you could find your way
without a guide in strange countries, that you PROMISED to send to my
father; you have, of course, brought it for me?"
This demand amused me much, as I well remembered how Kamrasi had
bothered me for my compass. I pretended that he meant a watch, which I
had already given him.
At length I was obliged to promise that if he would clear away the grass
and cultivate the neighbouring ground, I would give him a compass.
I now explained the advantages of free trade, and I begged him to order
his men to complete the government house without delay, as I could not
unpack my numerous boxes until I had some place where I could exhibit
the contents.
