Then, In Excellent Good Taste, After
Saying That Nobody Had Ever Given Her Such Treasures, She Gave
Me, In Return, A Beautifully- Worked Pombe Sucking-Pipe, Which
Was Acknowledged By Every One To Be The Greatest Honour She Could
Pay Me.
Not satisfied with this, she made me select, though against my
desire, a number of sambo, called here gundu,
Rings of giraffe
hair wound round with thin iron or copper wire, and worn as
anklets; and crowned with all sundry pots of pombe, a cow, and a
bundle of dried fish, of the description given in the woodcut,
called by my men Samaki Kambari. This business over, she begged
me to show her my picture-books, and was so amused with them that
she ordered her sorceresses and all the other women in again to
inspect them with her. Then began a warm and complimentary
conversation, which ended by an inspection of my rings and al the
contents of my pockets, as well as of my watch, which she called
Lubari - a term equivalent to a place of worship, the object of
worship itself, or the iron horn or magic pan. Still she said I
had not yet satisfied her; I must return again two days hence,
for she like me much - excessively - she could not say how much;
but now the day was gone, I might go. With this queer kind of
adieu she rose and walked away, leaving me with my servants to
carry the royal present home.
28th. - My whole thoughts were now occupied in devising some
scheme to obtain a hut in the palace, not only the better to
maintain my dignity, and so gain superior influence in the court,
but also that I might have a better insight into the manners and
customs of these strange people. I was not sorry to find the
king attempting to draw me to court, daily to sit in attendance
on him as his officers were obliged to do all day long, in order
that he might always have a full court or escort whenever by
chance he might emerge from his palace, for it gave me an opening
for asserting my proper position.
Instead, therefore, of going at the call of his pages this
morning I sent Bombay with some men to say that although I was
desirous of seeing him daily, I could not so expose myself to the
sun. In all other countries I received, as my right, a palace to
live in when I called on the king of my country, and unless he
gave one now I should feel slighted; moreover, I should like a
hut in the same enclosure as himself, when I could sit and
converse with him constantly, and teach him the use of the things
I had given him. By Bombay's account, the king was much struck
with the force of my humble request, and replied that he should
like to have Bana, meaning myself, ever by his side, but his huts
were all full of women, and therefore it could not be managed;
if, however, Bana would but have patience for a while, a hut
should be built for him in the environs, which would be a mark of
distinction he had never paid to any visitor before. Then
changing the subject by inspecting my men, he fell so much in
love with their little red "fez" caps, that he sent off his pages
to beg me for a specimen, and, on finding them sent by the boys,
he remarked, with warm approbation, how generous I was in
supplying his wishes, and then, turning to Bombay, wished to know
what sort of return-presents would please me best. Bombay,
already primed, instantly said, "Oh, Bana, being a great man in
his own country, and not thirsting for gain in ivory or slaves,
would only accept such things as a spear, shield, or drum, which
he could take to his own country as a specimen of the
manufactures of Uganda, and a pleasing recollection of his visit
to the king."
"Ah," says Mtesa, "if that is all he wants, then indeed will I
satisfy him, for I will give him the two spears with which I took
all this country, and, when engaged in so doing, pierced three
men with one stab.
"But, for the present, is it true what I have heard, that Bana
would like to go out with me shooting?" "Oh yes, he is a most
wonderful sportsman - shoots elephants and buffaloes, and birds on
the wing. He would like to go out on a shooting excursion and
teach you the way."
Then turning the subject, in the highest good-humour the king
made centurions of N'yamgundu and Maula, my two Wakungu, for
their good service, he said, in bringing him such a valuable
guest. This delighted them so much that as soon as they could
they came back to my camp, threw themselves at my feet, and
n'yanzigging incessantly, narrated their fortunes, and begged, as
a great man, I would lend them some cows to present to the king
as an acknowledgement for the favour he had shown them. The
cows, I then told them, had come from the king, and could not go
back again, for it was not the habit of white men to part with
their presents; but as I felt their promotion redounded on
myself, and was certainly the highest compliment their king could
have paid me, I would give them each a wire to make their salaam
good.
This was enough; both officers got drunk, and, beating their
drums, serenaded the camp until the evening set in, when, to my
utter surprise, an elderly Mganda woman was brought into camp
with the commander-in-chief's metaphorical compliments, hoping I
would accept her "to carry my water"; with this trifling
addition, that in case I did not think her pretty enough, he
hoped I would not hesitate to select which I liked from ten
others, of "all colours," Wahuma included, who, for that purpose,
were then waiting in his palace.
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