In All Other Countries I Received, As My Right, A Palace To
Live In When I Called On The King
Of my country, and unless he
gave one now I should feel slighted; moreover, I should like a
hut in
The same enclosure as himself, when I could sit and
converse with him constantly, and teach him the use of the things
I had given him. By Bombay's account, the king was much struck
with the force of my humble request, and replied that he should
like to have Bana, meaning myself, ever by his side, but his huts
were all full of women, and therefore it could not be managed;
if, however, Bana would but have patience for a while, a hut
should be built for him in the environs, which would be a mark of
distinction he had never paid to any visitor before. Then
changing the subject by inspecting my men, he fell so much in
love with their little red "fez" caps, that he sent off his pages
to beg me for a specimen, and, on finding them sent by the boys,
he remarked, with warm approbation, how generous I was in
supplying his wishes, and then, turning to Bombay, wished to know
what sort of return-presents would please me best. Bombay,
already primed, instantly said, "Oh, Bana, being a great man in
his own country, and not thirsting for gain in ivory or slaves,
would only accept such things as a spear, shield, or drum, which
he could take to his own country as a specimen of the
manufactures of Uganda, and a pleasing recollection of his visit
to the king."
"Ah," says Mtesa, "if that is all he wants, then indeed will I
satisfy him, for I will give him the two spears with which I took
all this country, and, when engaged in so doing, pierced three
men with one stab.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 392 of 767
Words from 107753 to 108071
of 210958
