Then The Women And Wakungu Separating From
Us, We - That Is, The King, The Kamraviona, Pages, And Myself - Sat
Down
To a warm feast of sweet potatoes and plantains, ending with
pombe and fruit, whilst moist circular napkins, made in
The shape
of magnificent wafers out of plantain fibre, acted at once both
the part of water and towel. This over, as the guns had to be
emptied, and it was thought sinful to waste the bullets, four
cows were ordered in and shot by the king. Thus ended the day,
my men receiving one of the cows.
8th. - As Mtesa was tired with his yesterday's work, and would not
see anybody, I took Lugoi and Kahala, with a bundle of beads, to
give a return to the Mgemma for his late treat of pombe. His
household men and women were immensely delighted with us, but
more so, they said, for the honour of the visit. They gave us
more pombe, and introduced us to one of N'yamasore's numerous
sisters, who was equally charmed with myself and my children. The
Mgemma did not know how he could treat us properly, he said, for
he was only a poor man; but he would order some fowls, that I
might carry them away. When I refused this offer, because we
came to see him, and not to rob him, he thought it the most
beautiful language, and said he would bring them to the house
himself. I added, I hoped he would do so in company with his
wife, which he promised, though he never dared fulfil the
promise; and, on our leaving, set all his servants to escort us
beyond the premises. In the evening, as the king's musicians
passed the camp, I ordered them in to play the milele, and give
my men and children a treat of dancing. The performers received
a bundle of beads and went away happy.
9th. - I called on Congow, but found him absent, waiting on the
king, as usual; and the king sent for my big rifle to shoot birds
with.
10th. - In consequence of my having explained to the king the
effect of the process of distilling, and the way of doing it, he
sent a number of earthen pots and bugus of pombe that I might
produce some spirits for him; but as the pots sent were not made
after the proper fashion, I called at the palace and waited all
day in the hope of seeing him. No one, however, dared enter his
cabinet, where he had been practising "Uganga" all day, and so
the pombe turned sour and useless. Such are the ways of Uganda
all over.
11th. - The king was out shooting; and as nothing else could be
done, I invited Uledi's pretty wife Guriku to eat a mutton
breakfast, and teach my child Meri not to be so proud. In this
we were successful; but whether her head had been turned, as
Bombay thought, or what else, we know not; but she would neither
walk, nor talk, nor do anything but lie at full length all day
long, smoking and lounging in thorough indolence.
12th. - I distilled some fresh pombe for the king; and taking it
to him in the afternoon, fired guns to announce arrival. He was
not visible, while fearful shrieks were heard from within, and
presently a beautiful woman, one of the king's sisters, with
cockscomb erect, was dragged out to execution, bewailing and
calling on her king, the Kamraviona, and Mzungu, by turns, to
save her life. Would to God I could have done it! but I did not
know her crime, if crime she had committed, and therefore had to
hold my tongue, whilst the Kamraviona, and other Wakungu present,
looked on with utter unconcern, not daring to make the slightest
remark. It happened that Irungu was present in the ante-chamber
at this time; and as Maula came with my party, they had a fight
in respect to their merits for having brought welcome guests to
their king. Mtesa, it was argued, had given N'yamgundu more
women and men than he did to Maula, because he was the first to
bring intelligence of our coming, as well as that of K'yengo, and
Suworora's hongo to his king; whilst, finally, he superseded
Maula by taking me out of his charge, and had done a further good
service by sending men on to Karague to fetch both Grant and
K'yengo.
Maula, although he had received the second reward, had literally
done nothing, whilst Irungu had been years absent at Usui, and
finally had brought a valuable hongo, yet he got less than Maula.
This, Irungu said, was an injustice he would not stand;
N'yamgundu fairly earned his reward, but Maula must have been
tricking to get more than himself. He would get a suitable
offering of wire, and lay his complaint in court the first
opportunity. "Pooh, pooh! nonsense!" says Maula, laughing; "I
will give him more wires than you, and then let us see who will
win the king's ear." Upon this the two great children began
collecting wire and quarrelling until the sun went down, and I
went home. I did not return to a quiet dinner, as I had hoped,
but to meet the summons of the king. Thinking it policy to obey,
I found him waiting my coming in the palace. He made apologies
for not answering my gun, and tasted some spirits resembling
toddy, which I had succeeded in distilling. He imbibed it with
great surprise; it was wonderful tipple; he must have some more;
and, for the purpose of brewing better, would send the barrel of
an old Brown Bess musket, as well as more pombe and wood in the
morning.
13th. - As nothing was done all day, I took the usual promenade in
the Seraglio Park, and was accosted by a very pretty little
woman, Kariana, wife of Dumba, who, very neatly dressed, was
returning from a visit.
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