Seating
Them Both On Our Chairs, Which Amused Them Intensely, I Asked
Rumanika, Although I Had Heard Before The Whole Facts Of The
Case, What Motives Now Induced Him To Wish The Committal Of Such
A Terrible Act, And Brought Out The Whole Story Afresh.
Before their old father Dagara died, he had unwittingly said to
the mother of Rogero, although he was the
Youngest born, what a
fine king he would make; and the mother, in consequence, tutored
her son to expect the command of the country, although the law of
the land in the royal family is the primogeniture system,
extending, however, only to those sons who are born after the
accession of the king to the throne.
As soon, therefore, as Dagara died, leaving the three sons
alluded to, all by different mothers, a contest took place with
the brothers, which, as Nnanaji held by Rumanika, ended in the
two elder driving Rogero away. It happened, however, that half
the men of the country, either from fear or love, attached
themselves to Rogero. Feeling his power, he raised an army and
attempted to fight for the crown, which it is generally admitted
would have succeeded, had not Musa, with unparalleled
magnanimity, employed all the ivory merchandise at his command to
engage the services of all the Arabs' slaves residing at Kufro,
to bring muskets against him. Rogero was thus frightened away;
but he went away swearing that he would carry out his intentions
at some future date, when the Arabs had withdrawn from the
country.
Magic charms, of course, we had none; but the king would not
believe it, and, to wheedle some out of us, said they would not
kill their brother even if they caught him - for fratricide was
considered an unnatural crime in their country - but they would
merely gouge out his eyes and set him at large again; for without
the power of sight he could do them no harm.
I then recommended, as the best advice I could give him for the
time being, to take some strong measures against Suwarora and the
system of taxation carried on in Usui. These would have the
effect of bringing men with superior knowledge into the country -
for it was only through the power of knowledge that good
government could be obtained. Suwarora at present stopped eight-
tenths of the ivory-merchants who might be inclined to trade here
from coming into the country, by the foolish system of excessive
taxation he had established. Next I told him, if he would give
me one or two of his children, I would have them instructed in
England; for I admired his race, and believed them to have sprung
from our old friends the Abyssinians, whose king, Sahela
Selassie, had received rich presents from our Queen. They were
Christians like ourselves, and had the Wahuma not lost their
knowledge of God they would be so also. A long theological and
historical discussion ensued, which so pleased the king, that he
said he would be delighted if I would take two of his sons to
England, that they might bring him a knowledge of everything.
Then turning again to the old point, his utter amazement that we
should spend so much property in travelling, he wished to know
what we did it for; when men had such means they would surely sit
down and enjoy it. "Oh no," was the reply; "we have had our fill
of the luxuries of life; eating, drinking, or sleeping have no
charms for us now; we are above trade, therefore require no
profits, and seek for enjoyment the run of the world. To observe
and admire the beauties of creation are worth much more than
beads to us. But what led us this way we have told you before;
it was to see your majesty in particular, and the great kings of
Africa - and at the same time to open another road to the north,
whereby the best manufactures or Europe would find their way to
Karague, and you would get so many more guests." In the highest
good-humour the king said, "As you have come to see me and see
sights, I will order some boats and show you over the lake, with
musicians to play before you, or anything else that you like."
Then, after looking over our pictures with intensest delight, and
admiring our beds, boxes, and outfit in general, he left for the
day.
In the afternoon, as I had heard from Musa that the wives of the
king and princes were fattened to such an extent that they could
not stand upright, I paid my respects to Wazezeru, the king's
eldest brother - who, having been born before his father ascended
the throne, did not come in the line of succession - with the hope
of being able to see for myself the truth of the story. There
was no mistake about it. On entering the hut I found the old man
and his chief wife sitting side by side on a bench of earth
strewed over with grass, and partitioned like stalls for sleeping
apartments, whilst in front of them were placed numerous wooden
pots of milk, and hanging from the poles that supported the
beehive-shaped hut, a large collection of bows six feet in
length, whilst below them were tied an even larger collection of
spears, intermixed with a goodly assortment of heavy-headed
assages. I was struck with no small surprise at the way he
received me, as well as with the extraordinary dimensions, yet
pleasing beauty, of the immoderately fat fair one his wife. She
could not rise; and so large were her arms that, between the
joints, the flesh hung down like large, loose-stuffed puddings.
Then in came their children, all models of the Abyssinian type of
beauty, and as polite in their manners as thorough-bred
gentlemen. They had heard of my picture-books from the king, and
all wished to see them; which they no sooner did, to their
infinite delight, especially when they recognised any of the
animals, then the subject was turned by my inquiring what they
did with so many milk-pots.
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