Before Us Was A Large Open Square, With The Huts Of The Queen's
Kamraviona Or Commander-In- Chief Beyond.
The battalion,
consisting of what might be termed three companies, each
containing 200 men, being drawn up on the
Left extremity of the
parade-ground, received orders to march past in single file from
the right of companies, at a long trot, and re-form again at the
other end of the square.
Nothing conceivable could be more wild or fantastic than the
sight which ensued - the men all nearly naked, with goat or cat
skins depending from their girdles, and smeared with war colours
according to the taste of each individual; one-half of the body
red or black, the other blue, not in regular order - as, for
instance, one stocking would be red, the other black, whilst the
breeches above would be the opposite colours, and so with the
sleeves and waistcoat. Every man carried the same arms - two
spears and one shield - held as if approaching an enemy, and they
thus moved in three lines of single rank and file, at fifteen to
twenty paces asunder, with the same high action and elongated
step, the ground leg only being bent, to give their strides the
greater force. After the men had all started, the captains of
companies followed, even more fantastically dressed; and last of
all came the great Colonel Congow, a perfect Robinson Crusoe,
with his long white-haired goat-skins, a fiddle-shaped leather
shield, tufted with white hair at all six extremities, bands of
long hair tied below the knees, and a magnificent helmet, covered
with rich beads of every colour, in excellent taste, surmounted
with a plume of crimson feathers, from the centre of which rose a
bent stem, tufted with goat-hair. Next they charged in companies
to and fro; and, finally, the senior officers came charging at
their king, making violent professions of faith and honesty, for
which they were applauded. The parade then broke up, and all went
home.
26th. - One of king Mtesa's officers now consenting to go to
N'yama Goma with some of my men, I sent Grant a quarter of goat.
The reply brought to me was, that he was very thankful for it;
that he cooked it and ate it on the spot; and begged I would see
the king, to get him released from that starving place. Rozaro
was given over to the custody of Kitunzi for punishment. At the
same time, the queen, having heard of the outrages committed
against her brother and women, commanded that neither my men nor
any of Rozaro's should get any more food at the palace; for as we
all came to Uganda in one body, so all alike were, by her logic,
answerable for the offence. I called at the palace for
explanation but could not obtain admittance because I would not
fire the gun.
27th. - The king sent to say he wanted medicine to propitiate
lightning. I called and described the effects of a lightning-
rod, and tried to enter into the Unyoro business, wishing to go
there at once myself.
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