I Sent Three, Feeling That Nothing Would
Be Lost By Being "Open-Handed."
22d. - To-day the king went the round of his relations, showing
the beautiful things given him by the white
Man - a clear proof
that he was much favoured by the "spirits," for neither his
father nor any of his forefathers had been so recognised and
distinguished by any "sign" as a rightful inheritor to the Uganda
throne: an anti-Christian interpretation of omens, as rife in
these dark regions now as it was in the time of King
Nebuchadnezzar. At midnight the three muskets were returned, and
I was so pleased with the young king's promptitude and honesty, I
begged he would accept them.
23d. - At noon Mtesa sent his pages to invite me to his palace. I
went, with my guard of honour and my stool, but found I had to
sit waiting in an ante-hut three hours with his commander-in-
chief and other high officers before he was ready to see me.
During this time Wasoga minstrels, playing on tambira, and
accompanied by boys playing on a harmonicon, kept us amused; and
a small page, with a large bundle of grass, came to me and said,
"The king hopes you won't be offended if required to sit on it
before him; for no person in Uganda, however high in office, is
ever allowed to sit upon anything raised above the ground, nor
can anybody but himself sit upon such grass as this; it is all
that his throne is made of. The first day he only allowed you to
sit on your stool to appease your wrath."
On consenting to do in "Rome as the Romans do," when my position
was so handsomely acknowledged, I was called in, and found the
court sitting much as it was on the first day's interview, only
that the number of squatting Wakungu was much diminished; and the
king, instead of wearing his ten brass and copper rings, had my
gold one on his third finger. This day, however, was cut out for
business, as, in addition to the assemblage of officers, there
were women, cows, goats, fowls, confiscations, baskets of fish,
baskets of small antelopes, porcupines, and curious rats caught
by his gamekeepers, bundles of mbugu, etc., etc., made by his
linen-drapers, coloured earths and sticks by his magician, all
ready for presentation; but, as rain fell, the court broke up,
and I had nothing for it but to walk about under my umbrella,
indulging in angry reflections against the haughty king for not
inviting me into his hut.
When the rain had ceased, and we were again called in, he was
found sitting in state as before, but this time with the head of
a black bull placed before him, one horn of which, knocked off,
was placed alongside, whilst four living cows walked about the
court.
I was now requested to shoot the four cows as quickly as
possible; but having no bullets for my gun, I borrowed the
revolving pistol I had given him, and shot all four in a second
of time; but as the last one, only wounded, turned sharply upon
me, I gave him the fifth and settled him.
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