Preparations for the Reception at the Court of Mtesa, King of
Uganda--The Ceremonial--African Diplomacy and Dignity--Feats with the
Rifle--Cruelty, and Wastefulness of Life--The Pages--The Queen-Dowager
of Uganda--Her Court Reception--I negotiate for a Palace--Conversations
with the King and Queen--The Queen's grand Entertainment--Royal
Dissipation.
To-day the king sent his pages to announce his intention of holding
a levee in my honour. I prepared for my first presentation at court,
attired in my best, though in it I cut a poor figure in comparison with
the display of the dressy Waganda. They wore neat bark cloaks resembling
the best yellow corduroy cloth, crimp and well set, as if stiffened with
starch, and over that, as upper-cloaks, a patchwork of small antelope
skins, which I observed were sewn together as well as any English
glovers could have pieced them; whilst their head-dresses, generally,
were abrus turbans, set off with highly-polished boar-tusks,
stick-charms, seeds, beads, or shells; and on their necks, arms, and
ankles they wore other charms of wood, or small horns stuffed with magic
powder, and fastened on by strings generally covered with snake-skin.
N'yamgundu and Maula demanded, as their official privilege, a first
peep; and this being refused, they tried to persuade me that the
articles comprising the present required to be covered with chintz, for
it was considered indecorous to offer anything to his majesty in a naked
state. This little interruption over, the articles enumerated below [18]
were conveyed to the palace in solemn procession thus:--With N'yamgundu,
Maula, the pages, and myself on the flanks, the Union-Jack carried by
the kirangozi guide led the way, followed by twelve men as a guard of
honour, dressed in red flannel cloaks, and carrying their arms sloped,
with fixed bayonets; whilst in their rear were the rest of my men, each
carrying some article as a present.
On the march towards the palace, the admiring courtiers, wonder-struck
at such an unusual display, exclaimed, in raptures of astonishment, some
with both hands at their mouths, and others clasping their heads with
their hands, "Irungi! irungi!" which may be translated "Beautiful!
beautiful!" I thought myself everything was going on as well as could
be wished; but before entering the royal enclosures, I found, to my
disagreeable surprise, that the men with Suwarora's hongo or offering,
which consisted of more than a hundred coils of wire, were ordered to
lead the procession, and take precedence of me. There was something
specially aggravating in this precedence; for it will be remembered that
these very brass wires which they saw, I had myself intended for Mtesa,
that they were taken from me by Suwarora as far back as Usui, and it
would never do, without remonstrance, to have them boastfully paraded
before my eyes in this fashion. My protests, however, had no effect upon
the escorting Wakungu. Resolving to make them catch it, I walked along
as if ruminating in anger up the broad high road into a cleared square,
which divides Mtesa's domain on the south from his Kamraviona's, or
commander-in-chief, on the north, and then turned into the court. The
palace or entrance quite surprised me by its extraordinary dimensions,
and the neatness with which it was kept. The whole brow and sides of the
hill on which we stood were covered with gigantic grass huts, thatched
as neatly as so many heads dressed by a London barber, and fenced all
round with the tall yellow reeds of the common Uganda tiger-grass;
whilst within the enclosure, the lines of huts were joined together, or
partitioned off into courts, with walls of the same grass. It is here
most of Mtesa's three or four hundred women are kept, the rest being
quartered chiefly with his mother, known by the title of N'yamasore, or
queen-dowager. They stood in little groups at the doors, looking at us,
and evidently passing their own remarks, and enjoying their own jokes,
on the triumphal procession. At each gate as we passed, officers on duty
opened and shut it for us, jingling the big bells which are hung upon
them, as they sometimes are at shop-doors, to prevent silent, stealthy
entrance.
The first court passed, I was even more surprised to find the unusual
ceremonies that awaited me. There courtiers of high dignity stepped
forward to greet me, dressed in the most scrupulously neat fashions.
Men, women, bulls, dogs, and goats, were led about by strings; cocks and
hens were carried in men's arms; and little pages, with rope-turbans,
rushed about, conveying messages, as if their lives depended on their
swiftness, every one holding his skin-cloak tightly round him lest his
naked legs might by accident be shown.
This, then, was the ante-reception court; and I might have taken
possession of the hut, in which musicians were playing and singing
on large nine-stringed harps, like the Nubian tambira, accompanied by
harmonicons. By the chief officers in waiting, however, who thought fit
to treat us like Arab merchants, I was requested to sit on the ground
outside in the sun with my servants. Now, I had made up my mind never to
sit upon the ground as the natives and Arabs are obliged to do, nor
to make my obeisance in any other manner than is customary in England,
though the Arabs had told me that from fear they had always complied
with the manners of the court. I felt that if I did not stand up for my
social position at once, I should be treated with contempt during the
remainder of my visit, and thus lose the vantage-ground I had assumed
of appearing rather as a prince than a trader, for the purpose of
better gaining the confidence of the king. To avert over-hastiness,
however--for my servants began to be alarmed as I demurred against doing
as I was bid--I allowed five minutes to the court to give me a proper
reception, saying, if it were not conceded I would then walk away.
Nothing, however, was done. My own men, knowing me, feared for me, as
they did not know what a "savage" king would do in case I carried out my
threat; whilst the Waganda, lost in amazement at what seemed little less
than blasphemy, stood still as posts. The affair ended by my walking
straight away home, giving Bombay orders to leave the present on the
ground, and to follow me.
Although the king is said to be unapproachable, excepting when he
chooses to attend court--a ceremony which rarely happens--intelligence
of my hot wrath and hasty departure reached him in an instant. He first,
it seems, thought of leaving his toilet-room to follow me, but, finding
I was walking fast, and had gone far, changed his mind, and sent Wakungu
running after me. Poor creatures! they caught me up, fell upon their
knees, and implored I would return at once, for the king had not tasted
food, and would not until he saw me. I felt grieved at their touching
appeals; but, as I did not understand all they said, I simply replied
by patting my heart and shaking my head, walking if anything all the
faster.
On my arrival at my hut, Bombay and others came in, wet through with
perspiration, saying the king had heard of all my grievances. Suwarora's
hongo was turned out of court, and, if I desired it, I might bring
my own chair with me, for he was very anxious to show me great
respect--although such a seat was exclusively the attribute of the king,
no one else in Uganda daring to sit on an artificial seat.
My point was gained, so I cooled myself with coffee and a pipe, and
returned rejoicing in my victory, especially over Suwarora. After
returning to the second tier of huts from which I had retired, everybody
appeared to be in a hurried, confused state of excitement, not knowing
what to make out of so unprecedented an exhibition of temper. In the
most polite manner, the officers in waiting begged me to be seated on
my iron stool, which I had brought with me, whilst others hurried in to
announce my arrival. But for a few minutes only I was kept in suspense,
when a band of music, the musicians wearing on their backs long-haired
goat-skins, passed me, dancing as they went along, like bears in a fair,
and playing on reed instruments worked over with pretty beads in various
patters, from which depended leopard-cat skins--the time being regulated
by the beating of long hand-drums.
The mighty king was now reported to be sitting on his throne in the
statehut of the third tier. I advanced, hat in hand, with my guard
of honour following, formed in "open ranks," who in their turn were
followed by the bearers carrying the present. I did not walk straight up
to him as if to shake hands, but went outside the ranks of a three-sided
square of squatting Wakungu, all inhabited in skins, mostly cow-skins;
some few of whom had, in addition, leopard-cat skins girt round the
waist, the sign of royal blood. Here I was desired to halt and sit in
the glaring sun; so I donned my hat, mounted my umbrella, a phenomenon
which set them all a-wondering and laughing, ordered the guard to close
ranks, and sat gazing at the novel spectacle! A more theatrical sight
I never saw. The king, a good-looking, well-figured, tall young man of
twenty-five, was sitting on a red blanket spread upon a square platform
of royal grass, encased in tiger-grass reeds, scrupulously well dressed
in a new mbugu. The hair of his head was cut short, excepting on the
top, where it was combed up into a high ridge, running from stem to
stern like a cockscomb. On his neck was a very neat ornament--a large
ring, of beautifully-worked small beads, forming elegant patterns by
their various colours. On one arm was another bead ornament, prettily
devised; and on the other a wooden charm, tied by a string covered with
snakeskin. On every finger and every toe, he had alternate brass and
copper rings; and above the ankles, halfway up to the calf, a stocking
of very pretty beads. Everything was light, neat, and elegant in its
way; not a fault could be found with the taste of his "getting up."
For a handkerchief he held a well-folded piece of bark, and a piece of
gold-embroidered silk, which he constantly employed to hide his large
mouth when laughing, or to wipe it after a drink of plantain-wine, of
which he took constant and copious draughts from neat little gourd-cups,
administered by his ladies-in-waiting, who were at once his sisters
and wives. A white dog, spear, shield, and woman--the Uganda
cognisance--were by his side, as also a knot of staff officers, with
whom he kept up a brisk conversation on one side; and on the other was a
band of Wichezi, or lady-sorcerers, such as I have already described.
I was now asked to draw nearer within the hollow square of squatters,
where leopard-skins were strewed upon the ground, and a large copper
kettledrum, surmounted with brass bells on arching wires, along with
two other smaller drums covered with cowrie-shells, and beads of colour
worked into patterns, were placed. I now longed to open conversation,
but knew not the language, and no one near me dared speak, or even lift
his head from fear of being accused of eyeing the women; so the king
and myself sat staring at one another for full an hour--I mute, but he
pointing and remarking with those around him on the novelty of my guard
and general appearance, and even requiring to see my hat lifted, the
umbrella shut and opened, and the guards face about and show off their
red cloaks--for such wonders had never been seen in Uganda.
Then, finding the day waning, he sent Maula on an embassy to ask me if I
had seen him; and on receiving my reply, "Yes, for full one hour," I
was glad to find him rise, spear in hand, lead his dog, and walk
unceremoniously away through the enclosure into the fourth tier of huts;
for this being a pure levee day, no business was transacted. The king's
gait in retiring was intended to be very majestic, but did not succeed
in conveying to me that impression. It was the traditional walk of his
race, founded on the step of the lion; but the outward sweep of the
legs, intended to represent the stride of the noble beast, appeared to
me only to realise a very ludicrous kind of waddle, which made me ask
Bombay if anything serious was the matter with the royal person.
I had now to wait for some time, almost as an act of humanity; for I was
told the state secret, that the king had retired to break his fast and
eat for the first time since hearing of my arrival; but the repast was
no sooner over than he prepared for the second act, to show off his
splendour, and I was invited in, with all my men, to the exclusion of
all his own officers save my two guides. Entering as before, I found him
standing on a red blanket, leaning against the right portal of the hut,
talking and laughing, handkerchief in hand, to a hundred or more of his
admiring wives, who, all squatting on the ground outside, in two groups,
were dressed in mew mbugus. My men dared not advance upright, nor look
upon the women, but, stooping, with lowered heads and averted eyes, came
cringing after me. Unconscious myself, I gave loud and impatient orders
to my guard, rebuking them for moving like frightened geese, and, with
hat in hand, stood gazing on the fair sex till directed to sit and cap.
Mtesa then inquired what messages were brought from Rumanika; to which
Maula, delighted with the favour of speaking to royalty, replied by
saying, Rumanika had gained intelligence of Englishmen coming up the
Nile to Gani and Kidi. The king acknowledged the truthfulness of their
story, saying he had heard the same himself; and both Wakungu, as is
the custom in Uganda, thanked their lord in a very enthusiastic manner,
kneeling on the ground--for no one can stand in the presence of his
majesty--in an attitude of prayer, and throwing out their hands as they
repeated the words N'yanzig, N'yanzig, ai N'yanzig Mkahma wangi, etc.,
etc., for a considerable time; when, thinking they had done enough of
this, and heated with the exertion, they threw themselves flat upon
their stomachs, and, floundering about like fish on land, repeated the
same words over again and again, and rose doing the same, with their
faces covered with earth; for majesty in Uganda is never satisfied
till subjects have grovelled before it like the most abject worms. This
conversation over, after gazing at me, and chatting with his women for
a considerable time, the second scene ended. The third scene was more
easily arranged, for the day was fast declining. He simply moved his
train of women to another hut, where, after seating himself upon his
throne, with his women around him, he invited me to approach the nearest
limits of propriety, and to sit as before. Again he asked me if I had
seen him--evidently desirous of indulging in his regal pride; so I made
the most of the opportunity thus afforded me of opening a conversation
by telling him of those grand reports I had formerly heard about him,
which induced me to come all his way to see him, and the trouble it had
cost me to reach the object of my desire; at the same time taking a gold
ring from off my finger, and presenting it to him, I said, "This is a
small token of friendship; if you will inspect it, it is made after
the fashion of a dog-collar, and, being the king of metals, gold, is in
every respect appropriate to your illustrious race."
He said, in return, "If friendship is your desire, what would you say
if I showed you a road by which you might reach your home in one month?"
Now everything had to be told to Bombay, then to Nasib, my Kiganda
interpreter, and then to either Maula or N'yamgundu, before it was
delivered to the king, for it was considered indecorous to transmit
any message to his majesty excepting through the medium of one of his
officers. Hence I could not get an answer put in; for as all Waganda are
rapid and impetuous in their conversation, the king, probably forgetting
he had put a question, hastily changed the conversation and said, "What
guns have you got? Let me see the one you shoot with." I wished still
to answer the first question first, as I knew he referred to the direct
line to Zanzibar across the Masai, and was anxious, without delay, to
open the subject of Petherick and Grant; but no one dared to deliver
my statement. Much disappointed, I then said, "I had brought the best
shooting-gun in the world--Whitworth's rifle--which I begged he would
accept, with a few other trifles; and, with his permission, I would
lay them upon a carpet at his feet, as is the custom of my country when
visiting sultans." He assented, sent all his women away, and had an
mbugu spread for the purpose, on which Bombay, obeying my order, first
spread a red blanket, and then opened each article one after the other,
when Nasib, according to the usage already mentioned, smoothed them down
with his dirty hands, or rubbed them against his sooty face, and handed
them to the king to show there was no poison or witchcraft in them.
Mtesa appeared quite confused with the various wonders as he handled
them, made silly remarks, and pondered over them like a perfect child,
until it was quite dark. Torches were then lit, and guns, pistols,
powder, boxes, tools, beads--the whole collection, in short--were tossed
together topsy-turvy, bundled into mbugus, and carried away by
the pages. Mtesa now said, "It is late, and time to break up; what
provisions would you wish to have?" I said, "A little of everything,
but no one thing constantly." "And would you like to see me to-morrow?"
"Yes, every day." "Then you can't to-morrow, for I have business; but
the next day come if you like. You can now go away, and here are six
pots of plantain-wine for you; my men will search for food to-morrow."
21st.--In the morning, whilst it rained, some pages drove in twenty cows
and ten goats, with a polite metaphorical message from their king, to
the effect that I had pleased him much, and he hoped I would accept
these few "chickens" until he could send more,--when both Maula and
N'yamgundu, charmed with their success in having brought a welcome guest
to Uganda, never ceased showering eulogiums on me for my fortune in
having gained the countenance of their king. The rain falling was
considered at court a good omen, and everybody declared the king mad
with delight. Wishing to have a talk with him about Petherick and Grant,
I at once started off the Wakungu to thank him for the present, and
to beg pardon for my apparent rudeness of yesterday, at the same time
requesting I might have an early interview with his majesty, as I had
much of importance to communicate; but the solemn court formalities
which these African kings affect as much as Oriental emperors, precluded
my message from reaching the king. I heard, however, that he had spent
the day receiving Suwarora's hongo of wire, and that the officer who
brought them was made to sit in an empty court, whilst the king sat
behind a screen, never deigning to show his majestic person. I was told,
too, that he opened conversation by demanding to know how it happened
that Suwarora became possessed of the wires, for they were made by
the white men to be given to himself, and Suwarora must therefore have
robbed me of them; and it was by such practices he, Mtesa, never could
see any visitors. The officer's reply was, Suwarora would not show the
white men any respect, because they were wizards would did not sleep in
houses at night, but flew up to the tops of hills, and practised sorcery
of every abominable kind. The king to this retorted, in a truly African
fashion, "That's a lie; I can see no harm in this white man; and if
he had been a bad man, Rumanika would not have sent him on to me." At
night, when in bed, the king sent his pages to say, if I desired his
friendship I would lend him one musket to make up six with what I had
given him, for he intended visiting his relations the following morning.
I sent three, feeling that nothing would be lost by being "open-handed."
22d.--To-day the king went the round of his relations, showing the
beautiful things given him by the white man--a clear proof that he was
much favoured by the "spirits," for neither his father nor any of his
forefathers had been so recognised and distinguished by any "sign" as
a rightful inheritor to the Uganda throne: an anti-Christian
interpretation of omens, as rife in these dark regions now as it was
in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. At midnight the three muskets were
returned, and I was so pleased with the young king's promptitude and
honesty, I begged he would accept them.
23d.--At noon Mtesa sent his pages to invite me to his palace. I went,
with my guard of honour and my stool, but found I had to sit waiting
in an ante-hut three hours with his commander-in-chief and other
high officers before he was ready to see me. During this time Wasoga
minstrels, playing on tambira, and accompanied by boys playing on a
harmonicon, kept us amused; and a small page, with a large bundle of
grass, came to me and said, "The king hopes you won't be offended if
required to sit on it before him; for no person in Uganda, however high
in office, is ever allowed to sit upon anything raised above the ground,
nor can anybody but himself sit upon such grass as this; it is all that
his throne is made of. The first day he only allowed you to sit on your
stool to appease your wrath."
On consenting to do in "Rome as the Romans do," when my position was so
handsomely acknowledged, I was called in, and found the court sitting
much as it was on the first day's interview, only that the number of
squatting Wakungu was much diminished; and the king, instead of wearing
his ten brass and copper rings, had my gold one on his third finger.
This day, however, was cut out for business, as, in addition to
the assemblage of officers, there were women, cows, goats, fowls,
confiscations, baskets of fish, baskets of small antelopes, porcupines,
and curious rats caught by his gamekeepers, bundles of mbugu, etc.,
etc., made by his linen-drapers, coloured earths and sticks by his
magician, all ready for presentation; but, as rain fell, the court
broke up, and I had nothing for it but to walk about under my umbrella,
indulging in angry reflections against the haughty king for not inviting
me into his hut.
When the rain had ceased, and we were again called in, he was found
sitting in state as before, but this time with the head of a black bull
placed before him, one horn of which, knocked off, was placed alongside,
whilst four living cows walked about the court.
I was now requested to shoot the four cows as quickly as possible; but
having no bullets for my gun, I borrowed the revolving pistol I had
given him, and shot all four in a second of time; but as the last one,
only wounded, turned sharply upon me, I gave him the fifth and settled
him. Great applause followed this wonderful feat, and the cows were
given to my men. The king now loaded one of the carbines I had given him
with his own hands, and giving it full-cock to a page, told him to go
out and shoot a man in the outer court; which was no sooner accomplished
than the little urchin returned to announce his success, with a look of
glee such as one would see in the face of a boy who had robbed a bird's
nest, caught a trout, or done any other boyish trick. The king said to
him, "And did you do it well?" "Oh, yes, capitally." He spoke the truth,
no doubt, for he dared not have trifled with the king; but the affair
created hardly any interest. I never heard, and there appeared no
curiosity to know, what individual human being the urchin had deprived
of life.
The Wakungu were not dismissed, and I asked to draw near, when the king
showed me a book I had given to Rumanika, and begged for the inspiring
medicine which he had before applied for through the mystic stick. The
day was now gone, so torches were lit, and we were ordered to go, though
as yet I had not been able to speak one word I wished to impart about
Petherick and Grant; for my interpreters were so afraid of the king they
dared not open their mouths until they were spoken to. The king was
now rising to go, when, in great fear and anxiety that the day would be
lost, I said, in Kisuahili, "I wish you would send a letter by post
to Grant, and also send a boat up the Kitangule, as far as Rumanika's
palace, for him, for he is totally unable to walk." I thus attracted his
notice, though he did not understand one word I uttered. The result was,
that he waited for the interpretation, and replied that a post would
be no use, for no one would be responsible for the safe delivery of the
message; he would send N'yamgundu to fetch him, but he thought Rumanika
would not consent to his sending boats up the Kitangule as far as the
Little Windermere; and then, turning round with true Mganda impetuosity,
he walked away without taking a word from me in exchange.
24th.--Early this morning the pages came to say Mtesa desired I would
send him three of my Wanguaga to shoot cows before him. This was just
what I wanted. It had struck me that personal conferences with me so
roused the excitable king, that there was no bringing plain matters of
business home to him; so, detaching seven men with Bombay, I told him,
before shooting, to be sure and elicit the matter I wanted--which was,
to excite the king's cupidity by telling him I had a boat full of stores
with two white men at Gani, whom I wished to call to me if he would
furnish some guides to accompany my men; and further, as Grant could not
walk, I wished boats sent for him, at least as far as the ferry on the
Kitangule, to which place Rumanika, at any rate, would slip him down in
canoes. At once, on arriving, Mtesa admitted the men, and ordered them
to shoot at some cows; but Bombay, obeying my orders to first have
his talk out, said, No--before he could shoot he must obey master and
deliver his message; which no sooner was told than the king, in a hurry,
excited by the prospects of sport, impatiently said, "Very good; I will
send men either by water or overland through Kidi, [19] just as your
master likes; only some of his men had better go with mine: but now
shoot cows, shoot cows; for I want to see how the Waguana shoot." They
shot seven, and all were given to them when they were dismissed. In the
evening the pages came to ask me if I would like to shoot kites in
the palace with their king; but I declined shooting anything less than
elephants, rhinoceros, or buffaloes; and even for these I would not go
out unless the king went with me;--a dodge I conceived would tend
more than any other to bring us together, and so break through those
ceremonial restraints of the court, which at present were stopping all
pans of progression.
25th.--The king invited me to shoot with him--really buffaloes--close to
the palace; but as the pages had been sent off in a hurry, without being
fully instructed, I declined, on the plea that I had always been gulled
and kept waiting or treated with incivility, for hours before I obtained
an interview; and as I did not wish to have any more ruptures in the
palace, I proposed Bombay should go to make proper arrangements for my
reception on the morrow--as anyhow, at present I felt indisposed. The
pages dreaded their master's wrath, departed for a while, and then sent
another lad to tell me he was sorry to hear I felt unwell, but he hoped
I would come if only for a minute, bringing my medicines with me, for
he himself felt pain. That this second message was a forged one I had no
doubt, for the boys had not been long enough gone; still, I packed up my
medicines and went, leaving the onus, should any accident happen, upon
the mischievous story-bearers.
As I anticipated, on arrival at the palace I found the king was not
ready to receive me, and the pages desired me to sit with the officers
in waiting until he might appear. I found it necessary to fly at once
into a rage, called the pages a set of deceiving young blackguards,
turned upon my heel, and walked straight back through the courts,
intending to leave the palace. Everybody was alarmed; information of my
retreat at once reached the king, and he sent his Wakungu to prevent my
egress. These officers passed me, as I was walking hurriedly along under
my umbrella, in the last court, and shut the entrance-gate in front of
me. This was too much, so I stamped, and, pointing my finger, swore in
every language I knew, that if they did not open the gate again, as they
had shut it at once, and that, too, before my face, I would never leave
the spot I stood upon alive. Terror-stricken, the Wakungu fell on their
knees before me, doing as they were bid; and, to please them, I returned
at once, and went up to the king, who, now sitting on his throne, asked
the officers how they had managed to entice me back; to which they all
replied in a breath, n'yanzigging heartily, "Oh, we were so afraid--he
was so terrible! but he turned at once as soon as we opened the gate."
"How? what gate? tell us all about it." And when the whole story was
fully narrated, the matter was thought a good joke. After pausing a
little, I asked the king what ailed him, for I was sorry to hear he had
been sick; but instead of replying, he shook his head, as much as to
say, I had put a very uncouth question to his majesty--and ordered some
men to shoot cows.
Instead of admiring this childish pastime, which in Uganda is considered
royal sport, I rather looked disdainful, until, apparently disappointed
at my indifference, he asked what the box I had brought contained. On
being told it was the medicine he desired, he asked me to draw near, and
sent his courtiers away. When only the interpreters and one confidential
officer were left, besides myself, he wished to know if I could apply
the medicine without its touching the afflicted part. To give him
confidence in my surgical skill, I moved my finger, and asked him if he
knew what gave it action; and on his replying in the negative, I have
him an anatomical lecture, which so pleased him, he at once consented to
be operated on, and I applied a blister accordingly. The whole operation
was rather ridiculous; for the blister, after being applied, had to be
rubbed in turn on the hands and faces of both Bombay and Nasib, to show
there was no evil spirit in the "doctor." Now, thought I to myself,
is the right time for business; for I had the king all to myself, then
considered a most fortunate occurrence in Uganda, where every man courts
the favour of a word with his king, and adores him as a deity, and he in
turn makes himself as distance as he can, to give greater effect to his
exalted position. The matter, however, was merely deferred: for I no
sooner told him my plans for communicating quickly with Petherick and
Grant, than, after saying he desired their coming even more than myself,
he promised to arrange everything on the morrow.
26th.--In the morning, as agreed, I called on the king, and found the
blister had drawn nicely; so I let off the water, which Bombay called
the malady, and so delighted the king amazingly. A basket of fruit, like
Indian loquots, was then ordered in, and we ate them together, holding a
discussion about Grant and Petherick, which ended by the king promising
to send an officer by water to Kitangule, and another with two of my
men, via Usoga and Kidi, to Gani; but as it was necessary my men should
go in disguise, I asked the king to send me four mbugu and two spears;
when, with the liberality of a great king, he sent me twenty sheets of
the former, four spears, and a load of sun-dried fish strung on a stick
in shape of a shield.
27th.--At last something was done. One Uganda officer and one Kidi
guide were sent to my hut by the king, as agreed upon yesterday, when
I detached Mabruki and Bilal from my men, gave them letters and maps
addressed to Petherick; and giving the officers a load of Mtende to
pay their hotel bills on the way, I gave them, at the same time, strict
orders to keep by the Nile; then, having dismissed them, I called on the
king to make arrangements for Grant, and to complain that my residence
in Uganda was anything but cheerful, as my hut was a mile from the
palace, in an unhealthy place, where he kept his Arab visitors. It did
not become my dignity to live in houses appropriated to persons in the
rank of servants, which I considered the ivory merchants to be; and as
I had come only to see him and the high officers of Uganda, not seeking
for ivory or slaves, I begged he would change my place of residence to
the west end, when I also trusted his officers would not be ashamed
to visit me, as appeared to be the case at present. Silence being the
provoking resort of the king, when he did not know exactly what to say,
he made no answer to my appeal, but instead, he began a discourse on
geography, and then desired me to call upon his mother, N'yamasore, at
her palace Masorisori, vulgarly called Soli Soli, for she also required
medicine; and, moreover, I was cautioned that for the future the
Uganda court etiquette required I should attend on the king two days in
succession, and every third day on his mother the queen-dowager, as such
were their respective rights.
Till now, owing to the strict laws of the country, I had not been able
to call upon anybody but the king himself. I had not been able to send
presents or bribes to any one, nor had any one, except the cockaded
pages, by the king's order, visited me; neither was anybody permitted
to sell me provisions, so that my men had to feed themselves by taking
anything they chose from certain gardens pointed out by the king's
officers, or by seizing pombe or plantains which they might find Waganda
carrying towards the palace. This non-interventive order was part of the
royal policy, in order that the king might have the full fleecing of his
visitors.
To call upon the queen-mother respectfully, as it was the opening visit,
I too, besides the medicine-chest, a present of eight brass and copper
wire, thirty blue-egg beads, one bundle of diminutive beads, and sixteen
cubits of chintz, a small guard, and my throne of royal grass. The
palace to be visited lay half a mile beyond the king's, but the highroad
to it was forbidden me, as it is considered uncourteous to pass the
king's gate without going in. So after winding through back-gardens, the
slums of Bandowaroga, I struck upon the highroad close to her majesty's,
where everything looked like the royal palace on a miniature scale. A
large cleared space divided the queen's residence from her Kamraviona's.
The outer enclosures and courts were fenced with tiger-grass; and the
huts, though neither so numerous nor so large, were constructed after
the same fashion as the king's. Guards also kept the doors, on which
large bells were hung to give alarm, and officers in waiting watched
the throne-rooms. All the huts were full of women, save those kept as
waiting-rooms; where drums and harmonicons were played for amusement. On
first entering, I was required to sit in a waiting-hut till my arrival
was announced; but that did not take long, as the queen was prepared to
receive me; and being of a more affable disposition than her son, she
held rather a levee of amusement than a stiff court of show. I entered
the throne-hut as the gate of that court was thrown open, with my hat
off, but umbrella held over my head, and walked straight towards her
till ordered to sit upon my bundle of grass.
Her majesty--fat, fair, and forty-five--was sitting, plainly garbed in
mbugu, upon a carpet spread upon the ground within a curtain of mbugu,
her elbow resting on a pillow of the same bark material; the only
ornaments on her person being an abrus necklace, and a piece of mbugu
tied round her head, whilst a folding looking-glass, much the worse for
wear, stood open by her side. An iron rod like a spit, with a cup on
the top, charged with magic powder, and other magic wands, were placed
before the entrance; and within the room, four Mabandwa sorceresses or
devil-drivers, fantastically dressed, as before described, and a mass of
other women, formed the company. For a short while we sat at a distance,
exchanging inquiring glances at one another, when the women were
dismissed, and a band of music, with a court full of Wakungu, was
ordered in to change the scene. I also got orders to draw near and sit
fronting her within the hut. Pombe, the best in Uganda, was then drunk
by the queen, and handed to me and to all the high officers about her,
when she smoked her pipe, and bade me smoke mine. The musicians, dressed
in long-haired Usoga goat-skins, were now ordered to strike up, which
they did, with their bodies swaying or dancing like bears in a fair.
Different drums were then beat, and I was asked if I could distinguish
their different tones.
The queen, full of mirth, now suddenly rose, leaving me sitting, whilst
she went to another hut, changed her mbugu for a deole, and came back
again for us to admire her, which was no sooner done to her heart's
content, than a second time, by her order, the court was cleared, and,
when only three or four confidential Wakungu were left, she took up a
small faggot of well-trimmed sticks, and, selecting three, told me she
had three complains. "This stick," she says, "represents my stomach,
which gives me much uneasiness; this second stick my liver, which causes
shooting pains all over my body; and this third one my heart, for I get
constant dreams at night about Sunna, my late husband, and they are not
pleasant." The dreams and sleeplessness I told her was a common widow's
complaint, and could only be cured by her majesty making up her mind
to marry a second time; but before I could advise for the bodily
complaints, it would be necessary for me to see her tongue, feel her
pulse, and perhaps, also, her sides. Hearing this, the Wakungu said,
"Oh, that can never be allowed without the sanction of the king"; but
the queen, rising in her seat, expressed her scorn at the idea to taking
advice from a mere stripling, and submitted herself for examination.
I then took out two pills, the powder of which was tasted by the Wakungu
to prove that there was no devilry in "the doctor," and gave orders for
them to be eaten at night, restricting her pombe and food until I saw
her again. My game was now advancing, for I found through her I should
get the key to an influence that might bear on the king, and was much
pleased to hear her express herself delighted with me for everything I
had done except stopping her grog, which, naturally enough in this great
pombe-drinking country, she said would be a very trying abstinence.
The doctoring over, her majesty expressed herself ready to inspect
the honorarium I had brought for her, and the articles were no sooner
presented by Bombay and Nasib, with the usual formalities of stroking to
insure their purity, than she, boiling with pleasure, showed them all to
her officers, who declared, with a voice of most exquisite triumph,
that she was indeed the most favoured of queens. Then, in excellent good
taste, after saying that nobody had ever given her such treasures, she
gave me, in return, a beautifully-worked pombe sucking-pipe, which was
acknowledged by every one to be the greatest honour she could pay me.
Not satisfied with this, she made me select, though against my desire,
a number of sambo, called here gundu, rings of giraffe hair wound round
with thin iron or copper wire, and worn as anklets; and crowned with
all sundry pots of pombe, a cow, and a bundle of dried fish, of the
description given in the woodcut, called by my men Samaki Kambari. This
business over, she begged me to show her my picture-books, and was so
amused with them that she ordered her sorceresses and all the other
women in again to inspect them with her. Then began a warm and
complimentary conversation, which ended by an inspection of my rings and
all the contents of my pockets, as well as of my watch, which she called
Lubari--a term equivalent to a place of worship, the object of worship
itself, or the iron horn or magic pan. Still she said I had not yet
satisfied her; I must return again two days hence, for she like me
much--excessively--she could not say how much; but now the day was gone,
I might go. With this queer kind of adieu she rose and walked away,
leaving me with my servants to carry the royal present home.
28th.--My whole thoughts were now occupied in devising some scheme to
obtain a hut in the palace, not only the better to maintain my dignity,
and so gain superior influence in the court, but also that I might have
a better insight into the manners and customs of these strange people. I
was not sorry to find the king attempting to draw me to court, daily
to sit in attendance on him as his officers were obliged to do all day
long, in order that he might always have a full court or escort whenever
by chance he might emerge from his palace, for it gave me an opening for
asserting my proper position.
Instead, therefore, of going at the call of his pages this morning I
sent Bombay with some men to say that although I was desirous of
seeing him daily, I could not so expose myself to the sun. 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.
"But, for the present, is it true what I have heard, that Bana would
like to go out with me shooting?" "Oh yes, he is a most wonderful
sportsman--shoots elephants and buffaloes, and birds on the wing. He
would like to go out on a shooting excursion and teach you the way."
Then turning the subject, in the highest good-humour the king made
centurions of N'yamgundu and Maula, my two Wakungu, for their good
service, he said, in bringing him such a valuable guest. This delighted
them so much that as soon as they could they came back to my camp, threw
themselves at my feet, and n'yanzigging incessantly, narrated their
fortunes, and begged, as a great man, I would lend them some cows to
present to the king as an acknowledgement for the favour he had shown
them. The cows, I then told them, had come from the king, and could not
go back again, for it was not the habit of white men to part with their
presents; but as I felt their promotion redounded on myself, and was
certainly the highest compliment their king could have paid me, I would
give them each a wire to make their salaam good.
This was enough; both officers got drunk, and, beating their drums,
serenaded the camp until the evening set in, when, to my utter
surprise, an elderly Mganda woman was brought into camp with the
commander-in-chief's metaphorical compliments, hoping I would accept her
"to carry my water"; with this trifling addition, that in case I did not
think her pretty enough, he hoped I would not hesitate to select which I
liked from ten others, of "all colours," Wahuma included, who, for that
purpose, were then waiting in his palace.
Unprepared for this social addition in my camp, I must now confess I
felt in a fix, knowing full well that nothing so offends as rejecting
an offer at once, so I kept her for the time being, intending in the
morning to send her back with a string of blue beads on her neck; but
during the night she relieved me of my anxieties by running away, which
Bombay said was no wonder, for she had obviously been seized as part of
some confiscated estate, and without doubt knew where to find some of
her friends.
To-day, for the first time since I have been here, I received a quantity
of plantains. This was in consequence of my complaining that the king's
orders to my men to feed themselves at others' expense was virtually
making them a pack of thieves.
1st.--I received a letter from Grant, dated 10th February, reporting
Baraka's departure for Unyoro on the 30th January, escorted by Kamrasi's
men on their return, and a large party of Rumanika's bearing presents
as a letter from their king; whilst Grant himself hoped to leave Karague
before the end of the month. I then sent Bombay to see the queen, to
ask after her health, beg for a hut in the palace enclosures, and say
I should have gone myself, only I feared her gate might be shut, and I
cannot go backwards and forwards so far in the sun without a horse or an
elephant to ride upon. She begged I would come next morning. A wonderful
report came that the king put two tops of powder into his Whitworth
rifle to shoot a cow, and the bullet not only passed through the cow,
but through the court fence, then through the centre of a woman, and,
after passing the outer fence, flew whizzing along no one knew where.
2d.--Calling on the queen early, she admitted me at once, scolding me
severely for not having come or sent my men to see her after she had
taken the pills. She said they did her no good, and prevailed on me to
give her another prescription. Then sending her servant for a bag full
of drinking-gourds, she made me select six of the best, and begged
for my watch. That, of course, I could not part with; but I took the
opportunity of telling her I did not like my residence; it was not only
far away from everybody, but it was unworthy of my dignity. I came
to Uganda to see the king and queen, because the Arabs said they were
always treated with great respect; but now I could perceive those Arabs
did not know what true respect means. Being poor men, they thought much
of a cow or goat given gratis, and were content to live in any hovels.
Such, I must inform her, was not my case. I could neither sit in the sun
nor live in a poor man's hut. When I rose to leave for breakfast, she
requested me to stop, but I declined, and walked away. I saw, however,
there was something wrong; for Maula, always ordered to be in attendance
when anybody visits, was retained by her order to answer why I would not
stay with her longer. If I wanted food or pombe, there was plenty of it
in her palace, and her cooks were the cleverest in the world; she hoped
I would return to see her in the morning.
3d.--Our cross purposes seemed to increase; for, while I could not get a
satisfactory interview, the king sent for N'yamgundu to ascertain why I
had given him good guns and many pretty things which he did not know
the use of, and yet I would not visit him to explain their several uses.
N'yamgundu told him I lived too far off, and wanted a palace. After this
I walked off to see N'yamasore, taking my blankets, a pillow, and some
cooking-pots to make a day of it, and try to win the affections of the
queen with sixteen cubits bindera, three pints peke, and three pints
mtende beads, which, as Waganda are all fond of figurative language, I
called a trifle for her servants.
I was shown in at once, and found her majesty sitting on an Indian
carpet, dressed in a red linen wrapper with a gold border, and a box,
in shape of a lady's work-box, prettily coloured in divers patters with
minute beads, by her side. Her councillors were in attendance; and
in the yard a band of music, with many minor Wakungu squatting in a
semicircle, completed her levee. Maula on my behalf opened conversation,
in allusion to her yesterday's question, by saying I had applied to
Mtesa for a palace, that I might be near enough both their majesties
to pay them constant visits. She replied, in a good hearty manner, that
indeed was a very proper request, which showed my good sense, and ought
to have been complied with at once; but Mtesa was only a Kijana or
stripling, and as she influenced all the government of the country,
she would have it carried into effect. Compliments were now passed,
my presents given and approved of; and the queen, thinking I must be
hungry, for she wanted to eat herself, requested me to refresh myself in
another hut. I complied, spread my bedding, and ordered in my breakfast;
but as the hut was full of men, I suspended a Scotch plain, and quite
eclipsed her mbugu curtain.
Reports of this magnificence at once flew to the queen, who sent to know
how many more blankets I had in my possession, and whether, if she asked
for one, she would get it. She also desired to see my spoons, fork, and
pipe--an English meerschaum, mounted with silver; so, after breakfast,
I returned to see her, showed her the spoons and forks, and smoked my
pipe, but told her I had no blankets left but what formed my bed. She
appeared very happy and very well, did not say another word about the
blankets, but ordered a pipe for herself, and sat chatting, laughing,
and smoking in concert with me.
I told her I had visited all the four quarters of the globe, and had
seen all colours of people, but wondered where she got her pipe from,
for it was much after the Rumish (Turkish) fashion, with a long stick.
Greatly tickled at the flattery, she said, "We hear men like yourself
come to Amara from the other side, and drive cattle away." "The Gallas,
or Abyssinians, who are tall and fair, like Rumanika," I said, "might do
so, for they live not far off on the other side of Amara, but we
never fight for such paltry objects. If cows fall into our hands
when fighting, we allow our soldiers to eat them, while we take the
government of the country into our hands." She then said, "We hear you
don't like the Unyamuezi route, we will open the Ukori one for you."
"Thank your majesty," said I, in a figurative kind of speech to please
Waganda ears; and turning the advantage of the project on her side, "You
have indeed hit the right nail on the head. I do not like the Unyamuezi
route, as you may imagine when I tell you I have lost so much property
there by mere robbery of the people and their kings. The Waganda do not
see me in a true light; but if they have patience for a year or two,
until the Ukori road is open, and trade between our respective countries
shall commence, they will then see the fruits of my advent; so much so,
that every Mganda will say the first Uganda year dates from the arrival
of the first Mzundu (white) visitor. As one coffee-seed sown brings
forth fruit in plenty, so my coming here may be considered." All
appreciated this speech, saying, "The white man, he even speaks
beautifully! beautifully! beautifully! beautifully!" and, putting their
hands to their mouths, they looked askance at me, nodding their admiring
approval.
The queen and her ministers then plunged into pombe and became
uproarious, laughing with all their might and main. Small bugu cups
were not enough to keep up the excitement of the time, so a large wooden
trough was placed before the queen and filled with liquor. If any was
spilt, the Wakungu instantly fought over it, dabbing their noses on
the ground, or grabbing it with their hands, that not one atom of the
queen's favour might be lost; for everything must be adored that comes
from royalty, whether by design or accident. The queen put her head
to the trough and drank like a pig from it, and was followed by her
ministers. The band, by order, then struck up a tune called the Milele,
playing on a dozen reeds, ornamented with beads and cow-tips, and five
drums, of various tones and sizes, keeping time. The musicians dancing
with zest, were led by four bandmasters, also dancing, but with their
backs turned to the company to show off their long, shaggy, goat-skin
jackets, sometimes upright, at other times bending and on their heels,
like the hornpipe-dancers or western countries.
It was a merry scene, but soon became tiresome; when Bombay, by way of
flattery, and wishing to see what the queen's wardrobe embraced, told
her, Any woman, however ugly, would assume a goodly appearance if
prettily dressed; upon which her gracious majesty immediately rose,
retired to her toilet-hut, and soon returned attired in a common
check cloth, and abrus tiara, a bead necklace, and with a folding
looking-glass, when she sat, as before, and was handed a blown-glass
cup of pombe, with a cork floating on the liquor, and a napkin mbugu
covering the top, by a naked virgin. For her kind condescension in
assuming plain raiment, everybody, of course, n'yanzigged. Next she
ordered her slave girls to bring a large number of sambo (anklets), and
begged me to select the best, for she liked me much. In vain I tried to
refuse them: she had given more than enough for a keepsake before, and I
was not hungry for property; still I had to choose some, or I would give
offence. She then gave me a basket of tobacco, and a nest of hen eggs
for her "son's" breakfast. When this was over, the Mukonderi, another
dancing-tune, with instruments something like clarionets, was ordered;
but it had scarcely been struck up, before a drenching rain, with strong
wind, set in and spoilt the music, though not the playing--for none
dared stop without an order; and the queen, instead of taking pity,
laughed most boisterously over the exercise of her savage power as the
unfortunate musicians were nearly beaten down by the violence of the
weather.
When the rain ceased, her majesty retired a second time to her
toilet-hut, and changed her dress for a puce-coloured wrapper, when I,
ashamed of having robbed her of so many sambo, asked her if she would
allow me to present her with a little English "wool" to hang up instead
of her mbugu curtain on cold days like this. Of course she could not
decline, and a large double scarlet blanket was placed before her. "Oh,
wonder of wonders!" exclaimed all the spectators, holding their mouths
in both hands at a time--such a "pattern" had never been seen here
before. It stretched across the hut, was higher than the men could
reach--indeed it was a perfect marvel; and the man must be a good one
who brought such a treasure as this to Uddu. "And why not say Uganda?"
I asked. "Because all this country is called Uddu. Uganda is personified
by Mtesa; and no one can say he has seen Uganda until he has been
presented to the king."
As I had them all in a good humour now, I complained I did not see
enough of the Waganda--and as every one dressed so remarkably well, I
could not discern the big men from the small; could she not issue some
order by which they might call on me, as they did not dare do so without
instruction, and then I, in turn, would call on them? Hearing this,
she introduced me to her prime minister, chancellor of exchequer,
women-keepers, hangmen, and cooks, as the first nobles in the land, that
I might recognise them again if I met them on the road. All n'yanzigged
for this great condescension, and said they were delighted with their
guest; then producing a strip of common joho to compare it with my
blanket, they asked if I could recognise it. Of course, said I, it is
made in my country, of the same material, only of coarser quality, and
everything of the same sort is made in Uzungu. Then, indeed, said the
whole company, in one voice, we do like you, and your cloth too--but you
most. I modestly bowed my head, and said their friendship was my chief
desire.
This speech also created great hilarity; the queen and councillors all
became uproarious. The queen began to sing, and the councillors to join
in chorus; then all sang and all drank, and drank and sang, till, in
their heated excitement, they turned the palace into a pandemonium;
still there was not noise enough, so the band and drums were called
again, and tomfool--for Uganda, like the old European monarchies, always
keeps a jester--was made to sing in the gruff, hoarse, unnatural voice
which he ever affects to maintain his character, and furnished with
pombe when his throat was dry.
Now all of a sudden, as if a devil had taken possession of the company,
the prime minister with all the courtiers jumped upon their legs, seized
their sticks, for nobody can carry a spear when visiting, swore the
queen had lost her heart to me, and running into the yard, returned,
charging and jabbering at the queen; retreated and returned again, as
if they were going to put an end to her for the guilt of loving me, but
really to show their devotion and true love to her. The queen professed
to take this ceremony with calm indifference, but her face showed that
she enjoyed it. I was not getting very tired of sitting on my low stool,
and begged for leave to depart, but N'yamasore would not hear of it; she
loved me a great deal too much to let me go away at this time of day,
and forthwith ordered in more pombe. The same roystering scene was
repeated; cups were too small, so the trough was employed; and the queen
graced it by drinking, pig-fashion, first, and then handing it round to
the company.
Now, hoping to produce gravity and then to slip away, I asked if my
medicines had given her any relief, that I might give her more to
strengthen her. She said she could not answer that question just yet;
for though the medicine had moved her copiously, as yet she had seen no
snake depart from her. I told her I would give her some strengthening
medicine in the morning: for the present, however, I would take my
leave, as the day was far gone, and the distance home very great; but
though I dragged my body away, my heart would still remain here, for I
loved her much.
This announcement took all by surprise; they looked at me and then at
her, and looked again and laughed, whilst I rose, waved my hat, and
said, "Kua heri, Bibi" (good-bye, madam). On reaching home I found
Maribu, a Mkungu, with a gang of men sent by Mtesa to fetch Grant from
Kitangule by water. He would not take any of my men with him to fetch
the kit from Karague, as Mtesa, he said, had given him orders to find
all the means of transport; so I gave him a letter to Grant, and told
him to look sharp, else Grant would have passed the Kitangule before he
arrived there. "Never mind," says Maribu, "I shall walk to the mouth
of the Katonga, boat it to Sese island, where Mtesa keeps all his large
vessels, and I shall be at Kitangule in a very short time."
4th.--I sent Bombay off to administer quinine to the queen; but the
king's pages, who watched him making for her gateway, hurried up to him,
and turned him back by force. He pleaded earnestly that I would flog
him if he disobeyed my orders, but they would take all the
responsibility--the king had ordered it; and then they, forging a lie,
bade him run back as fast as he could, saying I wanted to see the king,
but could not till his return. In this way poor Bombay returned to me
half-drowned in perspiration. Just then another page hurried in with
orders to bring me to the palace at once, for I had not been there these
four days; and while I was preparing to express the proper amount of
indignation at this unceremonious message, the last impudent page began
rolling like a pig upon my mbugued or carpeted floor, till I stormed and
swore I would turn him out unless he chose to behave more respectfully
before my majesty, for I was no peddling merchant, as he had been
accustomed to see, and would not stand it; moreover, I would not leave
my hut at the summons of the king or anybody else, until I chose to do
so.
This expression of becoming wrath brought every one to a sense of his
duty; and I then told them all I was excessively angry with Mtesa for
turning back my messenger; nobody had ever dared do such a thing before,
and I would never forgive the king until my medicines had been given to
the queen. As for my going to the palace, it was out of the question,
as I had been repeatedly before told the king, unless it pleased him to
give me a fitting residence near himself. In order now that full weight
should be given to my expressions, I sent Bombay with the quinine to
the king, in company with the boys, to give an account of all that had
happened; and further, to say I felt exceedingly distressed I could not
go to see him constantly--that I was ashamed of my domicile--the sun was
hot to walk in; and when I went to the palace, his officers in waiting
always kept me waiting like a servant--a matter hurtful to my honour and
dignity. It now rested with himself to remove these obstacles. Everybody
concerned in this matter left for the palace but Maula, who said he must
stop in camp to look after Bana. Bombay no sooner arrived in the palace,
and saw the king upon his throne, than Mtesa asked him why he came? "By
the instructions of Bana," was his reply--"for Bana cannot walk in the
sun; no white man of the sultan's breed can do so."
Hearing this, the king rose in a huff, without deigning to reply, and
busied himself in another court. Bombay, still sitting, waited for hours
till quite tired, when he sent a boy in to say he had not delivered half
my message; he had brought medicine for the queen, and as yet he had no
reply for Bana. Either with haughty indifference, or else with injured
pride at his not being able to command me at his pleasure, the king sent
word, if medicine is brought for the queen, then let it be taken to her;
and so Bombay walked off to the queen's palace. Arrived there, he sent
in to say he had brought medicine, and waited without a reply till
nightfall, when, tired of his charge, he gave the quinine into
N'yamgundu's hands for delivery, and returned home. Soon after,
however, N'yamgundu also returned to say the queen would not take the
dose to-day, but hoped I would administer it personally in the morning.
Whilst all this vexations business had been going on in court--evidently
dictated by extreme jealousy because I showed, as they all thought, a
preference for the queen--Maula, more than tipsy, brought a Mkungu of
some standing at court before me, contrary to all law--for as yet no
Mganda, save the king's pages, had ever dared enter even the precincts
of my camp. With a scowling, determined, hang-dog-looking countenance,
he walked impudently into my hut, and taking down the pombe-suckers the
queen had given me, showed them with many queer gesticulations, intended
to insinuate there was something between the queen and me. Among his
jokes were, that I must never drink pombe excepting with these sticks;
if I wanted any when I leave Uganda, to show my friends, she would give
me twenty more sticks of that sort if I liked them; and, turning from
verbal to practical jocularity, the dirty fellow took my common sucker
out of the pot, inserted one of the queen's, and sucked at it himself,
when I snatched and threw it away.
Maula's friend, who, I imagined, was a spy, then asked me whom I liked
most--the mother or the son; but, without waiting to hear me, Maula
hastily said, "The mother, the mother of course! he does not care for
Mtesa, and won't go to see him." The friend coaxingly responded, "Oh
no; he likes Mtesa, and will go and see him too; won't you?" I declined,
however, to answer from fear of mistake, as both interpreters were away.
Still the two went on talking to themselves, Maula swearing that I
loved the mother most, whilst the friend said, No, he loves the son, and
asking me with anxious looks, till they found I was not to be caught by
chaff, and then, both tired, walked away--the friend advising me, next
time I went to court, to put on an Arab's gown, as trousers are indecent
in the estimation of every Mganda.
5th.--Alarmed at having got involved in something that looked like court
intrigues, I called up N'yamgundu; told him all that happened yesterday,
both at the two courts and with Maula at home; and begged him to apply
to the king for a meeting of five elders, that a proper understanding
might be arrived at; but instead of doing as I desired, he got into a
terrible fright, calling Maula, and told me if I pressed the matter in
this way men would lose their lives. Meanwhile the cunning blackguard
Maula begged for pardon; said I quite misunderstood his meaning; all he
had said was that I was very fortunate, being in such favour at court,
for the king and queen both equally loved me.
N'yamgundu now got orders to go to Karague overland for Dr K'yengo; but,
dreading to tell me of it, as I had been so kind to him, he forged a
falsehood, said he had leave to visit his home for six days, and begged
for a wire to sacrifice to his church. I gave him what he wanted,
and away he went. I then heard his servants had received orders to
go overland for Grant and K'yengo; so I wrote another note to Grant,
telling him to come sharp, and bring all the property by boat that he
could carry, leaving what he could not behind in charge of Rumanika.
At noon, the plaguy little imps of pages hurried in to order the
attendance of all my men fully armed before the king, as he wished to
seize some refractory officer. I declined this abuse of my arms, and
said I should first go and speak to the king on the subject myself,
ordering the men on no account to go on such an errand; and saying this,
I proceeded towards the palace, leaving instructions for those men who
were not ready to follow. As the court messengers, however, objected to
our going in detachments, I told Bombay to wait for the rest, and hurry
on to overtake me. Whilst lingering on the way, every minute expecting
to see my men, the Wazinza, who had also received orders to seize the
same officer, passed me, going to the place of attack, and, at the
same time, I heard my men firing in a direction exactly opposite to the
palace. I now saw I had been duped, and returned to my hut to see the
issue. The boys had deceived us all. Bombay, tricked on the plea of
their taking him by a short cut to the palace, suddenly found himself
with all the men opposite the fenced gardens that had to be taken--the
establishment of the recusant officer,--and the boys, knowing how eager
all blacks are to loot, said, "Now, then, at the houses; seize all you
can, sparing nothing--men, women, or children, mbugus or cowries,
all alike--for it is the order of the king;" and in an instant my men
surrounded the place, fired their guns, and rushed upon the inmates. One
was speared forcing his way through the fence, but the rest were taken
and brought triumphantly into my camp. It formed a strange sight in the
establishment of an English gentleman, to see my men flushed with the
excitement of their spoils, staggering under loads of mbugu, or leading
children, mothers, goats, and dogs off in triumph to their respective
huts. Bombay alone, of all my men, obeyed my orders, touching nothing;
and when remonstrated with for having lead the men, he said he could not
help it--the boys had deceived him in the same way as they had tricked
me.
It was now necessary that I should take some critical step in African
diplomacy; so, after ordering all the seizures to be given up to Maula
on behalf of the king, and threatening to discharge any of my men who
dared retain one item of the property, I shut the door of my hut to do
penance for two days, giving orders that nobody but my cook Ilmas, not
even Bombay, should come near me; for the king had caused my men to
sin--had disgraced their red cloth--and had inflicted on me a greater
insult than I could bear. I was ashamed to show my face. Just as the
door was closed, other pages from the king brought the Whitworth rifle
to be cleaned, and demanded an admittance; but no one dared approach me,
and they went on their way again.
6th.--I still continued to do penance. Bombay, by my orders, issued
from within, prepared for a visit to the king, to tell him all that had
happened yesterday, and also to ascertain if the orders for sending my
men on a plundering mission had really emanated from himself, when the
bothering pages came again, bringing a gun and knife to be mended. My
door was found shut, so they went to Bombay, asked him to do it, and
told him the king desired to know if I would go shooting with him in the
morning. The reply was, "No; Bana is praying to-day that Mtesa's sins
might be forgiven him for having committed such an injury to him,
sending his soldiers on a mission that did not become them, and without
his sanction too. He is very angry about it, and wished to know if it
was done by the king's orders." The boys said, "Nothing can be done
without the king's orders." After further discussion, Bombay intimated
that I wished the king to send me a party of five elderly officers to
counsel with, and set all disagreeables to rights, or I would not go to
the palace again; but the boys said there were no elderly gentlemen at
court, only boys such as themselves. Bombay now wished to go with them
before the king, to explain matters to him, and to give him all the red
cloths of my men, which I took from them, because they defiled their
uniform when plundering women and children; but the boys said the king
was unapproachable just them, being engaged shooting cows before his
women. He then wished the boys to carry the cloth; but they declined,
saying it was contrary to orders for anybody to handle cloth, and they
could not do it.