Die young; my family is not large
enough to uphold my dignity and station in life; in fact, I am
infirm and want stimulants, and I wish you to prescribe for me,
which considering you have found your way to this, where nobody
came before, must be easy to you." Two pills and a draught for
the morning were given as a preliminary measure, argument being
of no avail; and to our delight the king said it was time to go.
We jumped off our seats to show him the way, hoping our
persecutions were over; but still he sat, and sat, until at
length, finding we did not take the hint to give him a parting
present, he said, "I never visited any big man's house without
taking home some trifle to show my wife and children." "Indeed,
great king! then you did not come to visit us, but to beg, eh?
You shall have nothing, positively nothing; for we will not have
it said the king did not come to see us, but to beg." Kamrasi's
face changed colour; he angrily said, "Irokh togend" (let us rise
and go), and forthwith walked straight out of the hut. Frij
piped, but no guns fired; and as he asked the reason why he was
told it would be offensive to say we were glad he was going. The
king was evidently not pleased for no pombe came to-day.
Chapter XVIII
Unyoro - Continued
The Ceremonies of the New Moon - Kamrasi's Rule and Discipline -
An Embassy from Uganda, and its Results - The Rebellious Brothers-
- An African Sorcerer and his Incantations - The Kamraviona of
Unyoro - Burial Customs - Ethiopian Legends - Complicated Diplomacy
for our Detention - Proposal to send Princes to England - We get
away.
26th. - We found that the palace was shut up in consequence of the
new moon, seen for the first time last evening; and incessant
drumming was the order of the day. Still, private interviews
might be granted, and I sent to inquire after the state of the
king's health. The reply was, that the medicine had not taken,
and the king was very angry because nothing was given him when he
took the trouble to call on us. He never called at a big man's
house and left it mwiko (empty-handed) before; if there was
nothing else to dispose of, could Bana not have given him a bag
of beads?
To save us from this kind of incessant annoyance, I now thought
it would be our best policy to mount the high horse and bully
him. Accordingly, we tied up a bag of the commonest mixed beads,
added the king's chronometer, and sent them to Kamrasi with a
violent message that we were thoroughly disgusted with all that
had happened; the beads were for the poor beggar who came to our
house yesterday, not to see us, but to beg; and as we did not
desire the acquaintance of beggars, we had made up our minds
never to call again, nor receive any more bread or wine from the
king.
