This
Induced The King To Say Before Them, Laughing, "Bana, You See, Is
Not To Be Done; He Is Accustomed
To sit before kings, and sit he
will." Then by way of a change, he ordered all the drums to
Embark and play upon the waters; whilst he and his attendants
paddled and steered by turns, first up the creek, and then down
nearly to the broad waters of the lake.
There was a passage this way, it was said, leading up to Usoga,
but very circuitous, on account of reefs or shoals, and on the
way the Kitiri island was passed; but no other Kitiri was known
to the Waganda, though boats went sometimes coasting down the
western side of the lake to Ukerewe. The largest island on the
lake is the Sese,[FN#20] off the mouth of the Katonga river,
where another of the high priests of the Neptune of the N'yanza
resides. The king's largest vessels are kept there, and it is
famous for its supply of mbugu barks. We next went on shore to
picnic, when a young hippopotamus, speared by harpoon, one pig,
and a pongo or bush-boc, were presented to the king. I now
advised boat-racing, which was duly ordered, and afforded much
amusement as the whole fifty boats formed in line, and paddle
furiously to the beat of drum to the goal which I indicated.
The day was done. In great glee the king, ever much attached to
the blackguard Maula, in consequence of his amusing stories,
appointed him to the office of seizer, or chief kidnapper of
Wakungu; observing that, after the return of so many officers
from war, much business in that line would naturally have to be
done, and there was none so trustworthy now at court to carry out
the king's orders.
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