A Further Feature Of The Court Consists In The National
Symbols Already Referred To - A Dog, Two Spears, And Shield.
With the company squatting in large half-circle or three sides of
a square many deep before him, in the hollow of which are
drummers and other musicians, the king, sitting on his throne in
high dignity, issues his orders for the day much to the following
effect:
- "Cattle, women, and children are short in Uganda; an
army must be formed of one to two thousand strong, to plunder
Unyoro. The Wasoga have been insulting his subjects, and must be
reduced to subjection: for this emergency another army must be
formed, of equal strength, to act by land in conjunction with the
fleet. The Wahaiya have paid no tribute to his greatness lately
and must be taxed." For all these matters the commander-in-chief
tells off the divisional officers, who are approved by the king,
and the matter is ended in court. The divisional officers then
find subordinate officers, who find men, and the army proceeds
with its march. Should any fail with their mission,
reinforcements are sent, and the runaways, called women, are
drilled with a red-hot iron until they are men no longer, and die
for their cowardice., All heroism, however, ensures promotion.
The king receives his army of officers with great ceremony,
listens to their exploits, and gives as rewards, women, cattle,
and command over men - the greatest elements of wealth in Uganda -
with a liberal hand.
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