Outside His Gate I Found Mkuenda, Who Said The Queen Had Sent Him
To Invite "Her Son" To Bring Her Some Stomach Medicine In The
Morning, And Come To Have A Chat With Her.
With Mkuenda I walked
home; but he was so awed by the splendour of my hut, with its few
blankets and bit of chintz, that he would not even sit upon a
cow-skin, but asked if any Waganda dared venture in there.
He
was either too dazzled or too timid to answer any questions, and
in a few minutes walked away again.
After this, I had scarcely swallowed by breakfast before I
received a summons from the king to meet him out shooting, with
all the Wanguana armed, and my guns; and going towards the
palace, found him with a large staff, pages and officers as well
as women, in a plantain garden, looking eagerly out for birds,
whilst his band was playing. In addition to his English dress,
he wore a turban, and pretended that the glare of the sun was
distressing his eyes - for, in fact, he wanted me to give him a
wideawake like my own. Then, as if a sudden freak had seized
him, though I knew it was on account of Maula's having excited
his curiosity, he said, "Where does Bana live? lead away."
Bounding and scrambling, the Wakungu, the women and all, went
pell-mell through everything towards my hut. If the Kamraviona
or any of the boys could not move fast enough, on account of the
crops on the fields, they were piked in the back till half
knocked over; but, instead of minding, they trotted on,
n'yanzigging as if honoured by a kingly poke, though treated like
so many dogs.
Arrived at the hut, the king took off his turban as I took off my
hat, and seated himself on my stool; whilst the Kamraviona, with
much difficulty, was induced to sit upon a cowskin, and the women
at first were ordered to squat outside. Everything that struck
the eye was much admired and begged for, though nothing so much
as my wideawake and mosquito-curtains; then, as the women were
allowed to have a peep in and see Bana in his den, I gave them
two sacks of beads, to make the visit profitable, the only
alternative left me from being forced into inhospitality, for no
one would drink from my cup. Moreover, a present was demanded by
the laws of the country.
The king, excitedly impatient, now led the way again, shooting
hurry-scurry through my men's lines, which were much commented on
as being different from Waganda hutting, on to the tall tree with
the adjutant's nest. One young bird was still living in it.
There was no shot, so bullets must be fired; and the cunning
king, wishing to show off, desired me to fire simultaneously with
himself. We fired, but my bullet struck the bough the nest was
resting on; we fired again, and the bullet passed through the
nest without touching the bird. I then asked the king to allow
me to try his Whitworth, to which a little bit of stick, as a
charm to secure a correct aim, had been tied below the trigger-
guard. This time I broke the bird's leg, and knocked him half
out of the nest; so, running up to the king, I pointed to the
charm, saying, That has done it - hoping to laugh him out of the
folly; but he took my joke in earnest, and he turned to his men,
commenting on the potency of the charm. Whilst thus engaged, I
took another rifle and brought the bird down altogether. "Woh,
woh, woh!" shouted the king; "Bana, Mzungu, Mzungu!" he repeated,
leaping and clapping his hands, as he ran full speed to the
prostrate bird, whilst the drums beat, and the Wakungu followed
him: "Now, is not this a wonder? but we must go and shoot
another." "Where?" I said; "we may walk a long way without
finding, if we have nothing but our eyes to see with. Just send
for your telescope, and then I will show you how to look for
birds." Surprised at this announcement, the king sent his pages
flying for the instrument, and when it came I instructed him how
to use it; when he could see with it, and understand its powers,
his astonishment knew no bounds; and, turning to his Wakungu, he
said, laughing, "Now I do see the use of this thing I have been
shutting up in the palace. On that distant tree I can see three
vultures. To its right there is a hut, with a woman sitting
inside the portal, and many goats are feeding all about the
palace, just as large and distinct as if I was close by them."
The day was now far spent, and all proceeded towards the palace.
On the way a mistletoe was pointed out as a rain-producing tree,
probably because, on a former occasion, I had advised the king to
grow groves of coffee-trees about his palace to improve its
appearance, and supply the court with wholesome food - at the same
time informing him that trees increase the falls of rain in a
country, though very high ones would be dangerous, because they
attract lightning. Next the guns must be fired off; and, as it
would be a pity to waste lead, the king, amidst thunders of
applause, shot five cows, presenting his gun from the shoulder.
So ended the day's work in the field, but not at home; for I had
hardly arrived there before the pages hurried in to beg for
powder and shot, then caps, then cloth, and, everything else
failing, a load of beads. Such are the persecutions of this
negro land - the host every day must beg something in the most
shameless manner from his guest, on the mere chance of gaining
something gratis, though I generally gave the king some trifle
when he least expected it, and made an excuse that he must wait
for the arrival of fresh stores from Gani when he asked.
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