Rozaro's Sister Also Came, And
Proposed To Marry Me, For Maula, She Said, Was A Brutal Man; He
Killed One
Of his women because he did not like her, and now he
had clipped one of this poor creature's ears
Off for trying to
run away from him; and when abused for his brutality, he only
replied, "It was no fault of his, as the king set the example in
the country."
In the evening I took a walk with Kahala, dressed in a red scarf,
and in company with Lugoi, to show my children off in the gardens
to my fair friends of yesterday. Everybody was surprised. The
Mgemma begged us to sit with him and drink pombe, which he
generously supplied to our heart's content; wondered at the
beauty of Kahala, wished I would give him a wife like her, and
lamented that the king would not allow his to wear such pretty
clothes. We passed on a little farther, and were invited to sit
with another man, Lukanikka, to drink pombe and chew coffee -
which we did as before, meeting with the same remarks; for all
Waganda, instructed by the court, know the art of flattery better
than any people in the world, even including the French.
7th. - In the morning, whilst it rained hard, the king sent to say
that he had started buffalo-shooting, and expected me to join
him. After walking a mile beyond the palace, we found him in a
plantain garden, dressed in imitation of myself, wideawake and
all, the perfect picture of a snob. He sent me a pot of pombe,
which I sent home to the women, and walked off for the shooting-
ground, two miles further on, the band playing in the front,
followed by some hundred Wakungu - then the pages, then the king,
next myself, and finally the women - the best in front, the worst
bringing up the rear, with the king's spears and shield, as also
pots of pombe, a luxury the king never moves without. It was
easy to see there would be no sport, still more useless of offer
any remarks, therefore all did as they were bid. The broad road,
like all in Uganda, went straight over hill and dale, the heights
covered with high grass or plantain groves, and the valleys with
dense masses of magnificent forest-trees surrounding swamps
covered with tall rushes half bridged. Proceeding on, as we came
to the first water, I commenced flirtations with Mtesa's women,
much to the surprise of the king and every one. The bridge was
broken, as a matter of course; and the logs which composed it,
lying concealed beneath the water, were toed successively by the
leading men, that those who followed should not be tripped up by
them. This favour the king did for me, and I in return for the
women behind; they had never been favoured in their lives with
such gallantry, and therefore could not refrain from laughing,
which attracted the king's notice and set everybody in a giggle;
for till now no mortal man had ever dared communicate with his
women.
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