-
Upwards of a thousand spectators were present when he killed the
cow, putting both bullets into her, and all
In a voice, as soon
as they saw the effect of the shot, shouted in amazement; the
Kidi visitors, all terror-stricken, crying out, as they clasped
their breasts, "Oh, great king, do allow us to return to our
country, for you have indeed got a new specimen of man with you,
and we are greatly afraid!" - a lot of humbug and affectation to
flatter the king, which pleased him greatly. It was not
sufficient, however, to make him forget his regal pride; for
though Bombay pleaded hard for our going to see him, and for a
change of residence, the immovable king, to maintain the imperial
state he had assumed as "king of kings," only said, "What
difference does it make whether your master sees me to-day or to-
morrow? If he wants to communicate about the road to Gani, his
property at Karague, or the guns at Uganda, he can do so as well
through the medium of my officers as with me direct, and I will
send men whenever he wishes to do so. Perhaps you don't know, but
I expect men from Gani every day, who took a present of slaves,
ivory and monkey-skins to the foreigners residing there, who, in
the first instance sent me a necklace of beads [showing them] by
some men who wore clothes. They said white men were coming from
Karague, and requested the beads might be shown them should they
do so. They left this two moons before Baraka arrived here, and
I told them the white men would not come here, as I heard they
had gone to Uganda."
Bombay then, finding the king very communicative, went at him for
his inhospitality towards us, his turning us back from his
country twice, and now, after inviting us, treating us as
Suwarora did. On this he gave, by Bombay's account, the following
curious reason for his conduct: - "You don't understand the
matter. At the time the white men were living in Uganda, many of
the people who had seen them there came and described them as
such monsters, they ate up mountains and drank the N'yanza dry;
and although they fed on both beef and mutton, they were not
satisfied until they got a dish of the 'tender parts' of human
beings three times a-day. Now, I was extremely anxious to see
men of such wonderful natures. I could have stood their
mountain-eating and N'yanzi-drinking capacities, but on no
consideration would I submit to sacrifice my subjects to their
appetites, and for this reason I first sent to turn them back;
but afterwards, on hearing from Dr K'yengo's men that, although
the white men had travelled all through their country, and
brought all the pretty and wonderful things of the world there,
they had never heard such monstrous imputations cast upon them, I
sent a second time to call them on:
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