Uledi
Returned From His Expedition Against A Recusant Officer At
Kituntu, Bringing With Him A Spoil Of Ten Women.
It appeared
that the officer himself had bolted from his landed possessions,
and as they belonged to "the church," or were in some way or
other sacred from civil execution, they could not be touched, so
that Uledi lost an estate which the king had promised him.
We
heard that Ilmas, wife of Majanja, who, as I already mentioned,
had achieved an illustrious position by services at the birth of
the king, had been sent to visit the late king Sunna's tomb,
whence, after observing certain trees which were planted, and
divining by mystic arts what the future state of Uganda required,
she would return at a specific time, to order the king at the
time of his coronation either to take the field with an army, to
make a pilgrimage, or to live a life of ease at home; whichever
of these courses the influence of the ordeal at the grave might
prompt her to order, must be complied with by the king.
18th. - I called at the palace with Grant, taking with us some
pictures of soldiers, horses, elephants, etc. We found the guard
fighting over their beef and plantain dinner. Bombay remarked
that this daily feeding on beef would be the lot of the Wanguana
if they had no religious scruples about the throat-cutting of
animals for food. This, I told him, was all their own fault, for
they have really no religion or opinions of their own; and had
they been brought up in England instead of Africa, it would have
been all the other way with them as a matter of course; but
Bombay replied, "We could no more throw off the Mussulman faith
than you could yours." A man with a maniacal voice sang and
whistled by turns. Katumba, the officer of the guards, saw our
pictures, and being a favourite, acquainted the king, which
gained us an admittance.
We found his majesty sitting on the ground, within a hut, behind
a portal, encompassed by his women, and took our seats outside.
At first all was silence, till one told the king we had some
wonderful pictures to show him; in an instant he grew lively,
crying out, "Oh, let us see them!" and they were shown, Bombay
explaining. Three of the king's wives then came in, and offered
him their two virgin sisters, n'yanzigging incessantly, and
beseeching their acceptance, as by that means they themselves
would become doubly related to him. Nothing, however, seemed to
be done to promote the union, until one old lady, sitting by the
king's side, who was evidently learned in the etiquette and
traditions of the court, said, "Wait and see if he embraces,
otherwise you may know he is not pleased." At this announcement
the girls received a hint to pass on, and the king commenced
bestowing on them a series of huggings, first sitting on the lap
of one, whom he clasped to his bosom, crossing his neck with hers
to the right, then to the left, and, having finished with her,
took post in the second one's lap, then on that of the third,
performing on each of them the same evolutions.
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