She Told Me For The Future To Send My Men To Her Palace For Food,
And Rob No More; In The Meanwhile, Here Were Some Plantains For
Them.
She then rose and walked away, leaving me extremely
disappointed that I could not make some more tangible arrangement
with her - such as, if my men came and found the gate shut, what
were they to do then?
There were forty-five of them; how much
would she allow; etc. etc. But this was a true specimen of the
method of transacting business among the royal family of Uganda.
They gave orders without knowing how they are to be carried out,
and treat all practical arrangements as trifling details not
worth attending to.
After this unsatisfactory interview, I repaired to the king's,
knowing the power of my gun to obtain an interview, whilst
doubting the ability of the Wakungu to gain an audience for me.
Such was the case. These men had been sitting all day without
seeing the king, and three shots opened his gate immediately to
me. He was sitting on the iron chair in the shade of the court,
attended by some eighty women, tweedling the loading rod in his
fingers; but as my rod appeared a better one than his, they were
exchanged. I then gave him a tortoise-shell comb to comb his
hair straight with, as he invariably remarked on the beautiful
manner in which I dressed my hair, making my uncap to show it to
his women, and afterwards asked my men to bring on the affair of
last night. They feared, they said, to speak on such subjects
whilst the women were present. I begged for a private audience;
still they would not speak until encouraged and urged beyond all
patience. I said, in Kisuahili, "Kbakka" (king), "my men are
afraid to tell you what I want to say"; when Maula, taking
advantage of my having engaged his attention, though the king did
not understand one word I said, said of himself, by way of
currying favour, "I saw a wonderful gun in Rumankika's hands,
with six barrells; not a short one like your fiver" (meaning the
revolving pistol) "but a long one, as long as my arm." "Indeed,"
says the king, "we must have that." A page was then sent for by
Maula, who, giving him a bit of stick representing the gun
required, told him to fetch it immediately.
The king then said to me, "What is powder made of?" I began with
sulphur (kibriti), intending to explain everything; but the word
kibriti was enough for him, and a second stick was sent for
kibriti, the bearer being told to hurry for his life and fetch
it. The king now ordered some high officers who were in waiting
to approach. They come, almost crouching to their knees, with
eyes averted from the women, and n'yanzigged for the favour of
being called, till they streamed with perspiration. Four young
women, virgins, the daughters of these high officers, nicely
dressed, were shown in as brides, and ordered to sit with the
other women.
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