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.
