1st. - I Drew For The King A Picture Of A Guinea-Fowl Which He
Shot In The Early Morning, And
Proceeded on a visit with Grant to
the queen's, accompanied only by seven men, as the rest preferred
foraging for
Themselves, to the chance of picking up a few
plantains at her majesty's. After an hour's waiting, the queen
received us with smiles, and gave pombe and plantains to her new
visitor, stating pointedly she had none for me. There was deep
Uganda policy in this: it was for the purpose of treating Grant
as a separate, independent person, and so obtaining a fresh hongo
or tax. Laughing at the trick, I thanked her for the beer,
taking it personally on my household, and told her when my
property arrived from Karague, she should have a few more things
as I promised her; but the men sent had neither brought my
brother in a vessel, as they were ordered, not did they bring my
property from Karague.
Still the queen was not content: she certainly expected something
from Grant, if it was ever so little, for she was entitled to it,
and would not listen to our being one house. Turning the
subject, to put in a word for my great object, I asked her to use
her influence in opening the road to Gani, as, after all, that
was the best way to get new things into Uganda. Cunning as a
fox, the queen agreed to this project, provided Grant remained
behind, for she had not seen enough of him yet, and she would
speak to her son about the matter in the morning.
This was really the first gleam of hope, and I set to putting our
future operations into a shape that might lead to practical
results without alarming our capricious host. I thought that
whilst I could be employed in inspecting the river, and in
feeling the route by water to Gani, Grant could return to Karague
by water, bringing up our rear traps, and, in navigating the
lake, obtain the information he had been frustrated in getting by
the machinations of his attendant Maribu. It was agreed to, and
all seemed well; for there was much left to be done in Uganda and
Usoga, if we could only make sure of communicating once with
Petherick. Before going home we had some more polite
conversation, during which the queen played with a toy in the
shape of a cocoa du mer, studded all over with cowries: this was
a sort of doll, or symbol of a baby and her dandling it was held
to indicate that she would ever remain a widow. In the evening
the king returned all our rifles and guns, with a request for one
of them; as also for the iron chair he sat upon when calling on
us, an iron bedstead, and the Union Jack, for he did not honour
us with a visit for nothing; and the head page was sent to
witness the transfer of the goods, and see there was no humbug
about it. It was absolutely necessary to get into a rage, and
tell the head page we did not come to Uganda to be swindled in
that manner, and he might tell the king I would not part with one
of them.
2d. - K'yengo, who came with Grant, now tried to obtain an
interview with the king, but could not get admission. I had some
further trouble about the disposal of the child Meri, who said
she never before had lived in a poor man's house since she was
born. I thought to content her by offering to marry her to one of
Rumanika's sons, a prince of her own breed, but she would not
listen to the proposal.
3d. - For days past, streams of men have been carrying faggots of
firewood, clean-cut timber, into the palaces of the king, queen,
and the Kamraviona; and to-day, on calling on the king, I found
him engaged having these faggots removed by Colonel Mkavia's
regiment from one court into another, this being his way of
ascertaining their quantity, instead of counting them. About
1600 men were engaged on this service, when the king, standing on
a carpet in front of the middle hut of the first court, with two
spears in his hand and his dog by his side, surrounded by his
brothers and a large staff of officers, gave orders for the
regiment to run to and fro in column, that he might see them
well; then turning to his staff, ordered them to run up and down
the regiment, and see what they thought of it. This ridiculous
order set them all flying, and soon they returned, charging at
the king with their sticks, dancing and jabbering that their
numbers were many, he was the greatest king on earth, and their
lives and services were his for ever. The regiment now received
orders to put down their faggots, and, taking up their own sticks
in imitation of spears, followed the antics of their officers in
charging and vociferating. Next, Mkavia presented five hairy
Usoga goats, n'yanzigging and performing the other appropriate
ceremonies. On asking the king if he had any knowledge of the
extent of his army, he merely said, "How can I, when these you
see are a portion of them just ordered here to carry wood?"
The regiment was now dismissed; but the officers were invited to
follow the king into another court, when he complimented them on
assembling so many men; they, instead of leaving well alone,
foolishly replied they were sorry they were not more numerous, as
some of the men lived so far away they shirked the summons;
Maula, then, ever forward in mischief, put a cap on it by saying,
if he could only impress upon the Waganda to listen to his
orders, there would never be a deficiency. Upon which the king
said, "If they fail to obey you, they disobey me; for I have
appointed you as my orderly, and thereby you personify the orders
of the king." Up jumped Maula in a moment as soon as these words
were uttered, charging with his stick, then floundering and
n'yanzigging as if he had been signally rewarded.
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