THE MARCH THROUGH UGUNDA.--ARRIVAL AT KING M'TESA'S PALACE.
The rest of the march through Unyoro was without incident of
consequence, as the people were neither hostile nor familiar. The
caravan avoided the villages, as the natives were sure to make
exorbitant demands for the privilege of passing through their land, and
if their requests were not heeded they would endeavor to "get even" by
begging. All travellers in Unyoro have found the people persistent in
begging. They take the example from their chiefs, and consequently their
practice is not to be wondered at. Speke was plundered in this way of
nearly all the property in his possession while passing through Unyoro,
and he had barely enough left to take him to a station where he could
find relief. Everything that the chiefs saw they wanted; and if the
stranger was not prompt to display all his wares they lost no time in
asking for them.
From Unyoro the party entered Ugunda, the country of King M'tesa, who is
considered by Stanley and Long the most progressive ruler in Central
Africa. Formerly a pagan, and indulging in the most horrid practices in
the way of sacrifices, he became a Moslem, and was subsequently
converted to Christianity by Mr. Stanley. We have already mentioned this
conversion and the doubts as to its earnestness. Of late years two
English missionaries have been residing near the court of M'tesa, and
they report that he received their teachings kindly, and told them he
should be glad if his people could be induced to give up idolatry.
[Illustration: A QUEEN OF UGUNDA DRAGGED TO EXECUTION.]
At the time of Speke's visit the king was quite ignorant of
Christianity, and followed the idolatrous practices of his ancestors. He
caused his attendants to be put to death on the slightest pretext, and
sometimes on no pretext whatever. The fancy seized the king to order
some one to be executed, and the order was obeyed. Speke said hardly a
day passed that he did not see one of the queens led to execution by
order of the king, and no one dared say a word in remonstrance. A cord
was tied around her wrist, and she was dragged away by one of the court
attendants, who did his duty zealously, not knowing when his own turn
would come. Sometimes there were several of these executions in a single
day, and it seems a wonder that there should have been any population
left in the country.
Speke tried to persuade the king to consider the doctrines of
Christianity, but without success. He had better fortune with Kamrasi,
then King of Unyoro, though not much. The king wanted to look at the
Bible, and accordingly Speke and Grant went to an audience with him, and
carried a copy of the sacred book.
[Illustration: KAMRASI'S FIRST LESSON IN THE BIBLE.]
Speke endeavored to show the origin of the people in that part of
Africa, and their identity with the Ethiopians of Scripture. He began
with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Then he described the Flood, and how
the descendants of Ham were black, and undoubtedly the parents of the
Africans. When he had finished his account the king took the book and
began to count the leaves. He had an idea that each leaf represented a
year since the Creation, and he thought that if he counted the leaves he
might ascertain the age of the world.
When he was about a quarter through he was told if that was what he
desired he must count the words, and then he abandoned the task and
closed the book. This was the extent of Speke's lesson in the Bible to a
pagan king. Kamrasi had already robbed him of a good part of his
property; and as the robberies and extortions continued without any
abatement, it is evident that the teaching of the doctrines of
Christianity had no material effect.
Before leaving Foueira, Doctor Bronson sent a messenger to M'tesa to
announce his coming and to ask permission to visit the capital. It was
agreed that the messenger should return with the king's answer, and wait
at the frontier for the arrival of the Doctor's party. When they reached
the frontier the messenger had not returned, and the Doctor was in some
doubt as to the best course to pursue. He did not like to wait there,
and thus lose valuable time; and, on the other hand, he feared it would
be discourteous to advance without authority into the dominions of a man
who might consider himself insulted, and had it in his power to stop the
march altogether.
He finally determined to move on, but to send another messenger, who
would intercept the first and make him hasten back to meet the
travellers. In case they should have no word by the time they were
within two days' march of the king's residence, they would then stop
until the royal mandate had been secured.
Happily they were not delayed, as they met the messenger before reaching
the point where it had been determined to halt. The permission to go to
the king's residence had been granted, and the messenger brought a
document in Arabic to that effect. With that indifference to time for
which the Africans are noted, his majesty had taken several days to act
upon a matter that could have been disposed of in a few minutes.
The country was much like that over which they travelled from Foueira to
the frontier of Unyoro--grassy plains, alternating with stretches of
forests, and occasional swamps that rendered locomotion difficult. There
was an abundance of game, and if our friends had been inclined to the
chase they might have bagged a goodly number of elephants, with no end
of deer and smaller animals. Doctor Bronson thought it would not be
judicious to delay their advance in order to hunt the elephant, which
they were not in pursuit of for ivory; and, furthermore, it might not be
satisfactory to the king to have his game killed without permission. But
he had no hesitation concerning the antelopes and other edible beasts,
and for the greater part of the time the larder was well supplied with
venison, so that the preserved meats and vegetables were rarely touched.
There was hardly a day without rain; it began usually about an hour
before sunset, and frequently fell with great fury till ten or eleven
at night. Then the clouds cleared away, the sun rose bright in the
morning, and by waiting a couple of hours our friends found the roads
endurable. But in spite of the heat of the sun the water collected in
the hollows, and there was altogether more wading and floundering
through the mud than was to the taste of any member of the party.
[Illustration: MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE.]
As they approached the capital of Ugunda the boys observed that there
was a great deal of red clay in the soil, and whenever it was wet with
the rain it showed an adhesiveness equal to the best qualities of glue.
The king had ordered the roads swept for their advance, but the sweeping
was more figurative than real; the path was cleared of fallen trees or
other obstructions, but the absence of brooms was more conspicuous than
their presence. In some places the path ascended hills two or three
hundred feet high, but for the most part it was along the lowlands,
since the natives are not at all fond of climbing when they can avoid
it.
[Illustration: VILLAGES IN THE HILLY COUNTRY.]
The agricultural tendencies of the inhabitants were shown by the
abundance of banana groves, some of them covering hundreds of acres, and
producing enormous quantities of the well-known fruit. The banana is
almost the sole resource of the people. They eat it raw or
steamed--generally in the latter form, unless it is thoroughly ripe;
they dry and pound it into a sort of coarse flour, for making bread,
puddings, and soup; they press out the juice for making pombé, or
banana-cider, as already described; and they boil the young shoots and
eat them, as we eat spinach or cabbage. The land which yields a ton of
potatoes will yield forty-four tons of bananas, and the surface
necessary for supporting one man when planted with wheat will support
twenty-five men when planted with bananas. What wonder is it that a
population which can grow the banana is not inclined to industry?
Nearly every night the camp was made in or near a banana grove, and for
a few beads or other commodities the party was allowed to gather all it
wanted for its use. Sometimes the owner of a grove would see a chance to
make something out of the transaction, and demand an exorbitant price;
but he was generally brought to terms by a reference to the king,
coupled with a judicious hint that the strangers were on their way to
visit M'tesa. One frightened native offered the products of his garden
for nothing, and was quite unwilling to accept payment for what was
taken.
The last camp was made about ten miles from the royal residence, and
just after the tents had been spread a messenger came from the
"kahotah," or minister of state, to announce that his majesty had
ordered a zeriba, or enclosure of huts, to be prepared for the visitors,
and it would take at least a day to perform the work. The kahotah came
shortly after the messenger, and went into camp about two hundred yards
away. He declined to see Doctor Bronson or either of the youths, as they
must first be presented to the king, but he sent an interpreter to find
out all he could concerning them.
The real object of the delay was to ascertain exactly who and what the
strangers were, so that the proper ceremonies could be observed for
their reception. The kahotah told the interpreter that he would gladly
meet the strangers, but the etiquette of the country prevented, and
there is nothing for which the Africans are greater sticklers than this
matter of etiquette. Royal courts are pretty nearly alike all over the
world.
The kahotah brought some presents from the king to Doctor Bronson: part
of them he delivered through his interpreter; but, after the custom of
his country, he kept the greater portion himself. Abdul said the kahotah
was a very important personage with the king, as he not only filled the
office of minister of state, but also that of cook. All the dishes eaten
by his majesty were prepared by the kahotah's own hands, so as to reduce
the chance of poisoning; and as the kahotah was required to eat of every
dish in the presence of his majesty before the latter touched it, he
was pretty sure that no strychnine or other injurious substance had a
place in it.
The delay of a day was utilized by a general brushing up of clothing and
brightening of brass adornments, in order to make the entry into the
capital of Ugunda as imposing as possible. Abdul went to see the kahotah
and arrange the details of the procession to do honor to all concerned.
It was decided that the camp would be moved to a point within a mile of
the capital, and there located for the night. At nine in the morning a
column would be formed, consisting of the body-guard of the king, or,
rather, a delegation from it; then a detachment of the royal troops,
armed with muskets and lances; then the flags of Ugunda, Egypt, and the
United States would be carried side by side, and followed by Doctor
Bronson and the two youths; then would come the escort of the strangers,
and the porters, with the presents for the king. The remainder of the
Doctor's porters would remain in camp till the ceremony was concluded,
when they would follow the Doctor to the zeriba which had been prepared
for him.
Fortunately for everybody, there was no rain on the evening preceding
the entry; and though the sun rose bright and clear, it was not quite as
warm as usual. The road this time had really been swept, and, as it was
fully twenty feet wide, it was better entitled to the appellation of
road than anything our friends had yet seen in Central Africa. The
king's troops were preceded by what was supposed to be a band of music.
It kept up a steady din of horns and drums, without the least attempt at
melody, and the instrumental part of the performance was aided by
imitations of the crowing of cocks and the cries of various birds and
animals.
[Illustration: FLAG OF UGUNDA.]
The flag of Ugunda proved to be of white and red, there being three
times as much of the latter as of the former; and it was ornamented at
the end with tassels of monkey-skin, cut from those parts where the hair
was longest. This was probably the first occasion of the American flag
being carried with that of Ugunda, and the boys were naturally proud of
the event.
The horses attracted more attention than did their riders, for the
simple reason that they were far more interesting as curiosities. White
men were not uncommon in Ugunda, especially since the residence there of
two English missionaries, but horses were rarely seen. Colonel Long was
the first to ride a horse into Ugunda; and probably, up to the date of
Doctor Bronson's visit, not more than half a dozen in all had escaped
the dreaded tsetse and reached the region of the Victoria N'yanza. Many
of the people had never seen a horse, and some of them believed that
horse and man were one, and expressed great astonishment when the riders
dismounted.
[Illustration: LONG'S FIRST VISIT TO M'TESA.]
When Colonel Long visited Ugunda and approached the palace, the king
sent a messenger to ask that he would ride to the gate, in order that
his majesty might see the animal on which he was mounted. The colonel
gathered his reins and dashed down the slope of a hill to where the king
was standing with his harem, who fled in terror at the apparition. The
horse slipped and stumbled in a depression of the road, but quickly
recovered; the colonel rode by at full speed and returned to the hill,
amid the shouts of the assembled crowd. When he dismounted there was a
rush of frightened men, as they had supposed till then that he was a
Centaur.
Since that event the king and his people have been enlightened to some
extent, but horses are still regarded with veneration, and are more
strange in the eyes of the people than the elephant is in ours.
On the arrival of our friends the king was in front of his palace, which
stands on the top of a gently sloping hill, commanding a fine view of
the country for a considerable distance. At the foot of the slope a
messenger requested the party to halt till the royal group had taken its
position. The delay enabled the crowd to have a good look at the
strangers, and it is fair to suppose that Frank and Fred returned the
inspection with interest. The boys were favorably impressed with the
intelligent appearance of the faces around them; they said they could
readily understand why Ugunda was the most advanced of the Central
African countries, and had been the first to welcome the missionary and
his work.
A messenger came from the king to request the party to advance, and,
amid the renewed din of horns and drums, it moved on once more. About
fifty yards from where the king stood it halted, and then the Doctor and
the boys dismounted, and left their horses in charge of the grooms.
Under the guidance of the court interpreter they walked forward; their
names were shouted in loud tones; they advanced to the king and
bowed; the king inclined his head very slightly, in recognition of their
obeisance, and the ceremony was over.
The formal presentation was to take place the next day, in the king's
palace, and in the mean time the strangers were to be allowed to rest.
The presents intended for the king were deposited in the zeriba prepared
for the Doctor, to which the entire party was immediately conducted by
the kahotah, who now showed himself for the first time.
[Illustration: UGUNDA BOY.]
Several attendants were sent by the king to wait upon the Doctor and his
young friends. Abdul said the best use to be made of them was to lodge
them in one of the huts, and require as little service as possible from
them. Their real office was to see and report upon everything that the
strangers had and did, and particularly to tell what they possessed
which could be of use to the king. Consequently, whatever the Doctor had
which he did not wish to be called on to present to his majesty was kept
carefully out of sight; and though the attendants repeatedly intimated
that they would like to examine the contents of certain boxes and bales,
they were not accommodated.
The zeriba prepared for the Doctor was on the side of a hill fronting
the one on which the palace stood. It was the same which was occupied by
Stanley, Long, and others, and is supposed to be in readiness at any
time for the reception of distinguished visitors. There were a dozen or
more huts inside a palisade: one, larger than the rest, was the special
residence of the Doctor, and two others close by had been hastily thrown
together for the boys. The other huts were for the dragoman, servants,
and escort; and the attendants, who had been sent to keep watch, were
instructed to order more huts erected if necessary. The construction of
a house in Central Africa is an affair of only an hour or two, and the
number could be multiplied indefinitely till all the space was
occupied.
[Illustration: VIEW OF M'TESA'S PALACE FROM DOCTOR BRONSON'S ZERIBA.]
Frank busied himself in the afternoon in making a sketch of the scene
from the front of their encampment. The picture included the slope of
the hill, covered with conical huts, and divided into little gardens. A
broad road led up the hill and around to the summit, and in order to
reach the entrance of the palace it was necessary to follow this bend of
the road.
A few trees were scattered along the sides of the hill, but the
vegetation was not abundant. Abdul explained that the most of the wood
had been cut away for fuel, and the king was not inclined to have many
trees around his residence, as they would give shelter to an enemy in
case of hostilities. Wood was a scarce article in the capital of Ugunda,
and Doctor Bronson soon found it necessary to ask the king for a detail
of men to supply them with fuel. In spite of the position of the place
(less than thirty miles from the equator), the nights were cool, in
consequence of the great elevation above the level of the sea.
The instruments were set up, and the latitude and longitude of Rubaga,
the name of M'tesa's capital, was obtained by the Doctor as follows:
Lat., 0° 21' 19" north; long., 32° 44' 30" east; elevation by barometer,
not far from forty-five hundred feet. Atmosphere humid, and climate
unhealthy for Europeans.
Frank found his sketch was a work of difficulty, as the natives crowded
around and watched each stroke of the pencil with feverish anxiety, and
with many expressions of wonder. Two of the attendants, armed with
spears, were in front of the hut where he was occupied with his drawing;
they kept up an incessant chatter in a language he could not understand,
but their frequent glances in his direction showed that he was the
subject of conversation. When he had finished one of them examined the
sketch with great care, and immediately started for the palace, with the
intention, no doubt, of informing his royal master what the young man
had been doing.
The natives displayed a great deal of curiosity: they not only examined
all inanimate things belonging to the party, but pulled at their
clothing, took their caps from their heads, and were never weary of
pulling at their hair, as if wishing to ascertain what made it so free
from kinks. It was frequently necessary to repress their eagerness; but
everything was done with such good-nature that it was difficult to get
angry with them. Frank suggested that they shut the gates of their
zeriba and admit nobody unless he had business inside; but the Doctor
said it would be best not to do so. There would be a better chance of
studying the people if they could come and go as they liked, and,
besides, it would make a more favorable impression on the king, who
would certainly be informed of all that occurred.
[Illustration: A WARRIOR OF UGUNDA.]
While Frank made his sketch of the hill of Rubaga, Fred induced one of
the warriors to stand for his portrait, which the youth put upon paper,
the man remaining motionless as a statue for at least half an hour.
Under the drawing he wrote the following notes:
"He is a handsome, well-formed negro, not an inch less than six feet in
height, and with a head that resembles John M'Cullough dressed for
Othello. His left arm is quite bare, and supports the triangular shield
which is a part of his military equipment. It is a light frame, covered
with dried hide and decorated with pieces of monkey-skin, to which the
hair still clings. Knotted and fastened over his right shoulder he has
two garments like cloaks; one is made of bark-cloth of a yellowish
color, and the other of the skins of very young antelopes, sewn together
as skilfully as the best operator of New York or London could perform
the work. His ankles are encircled with rings of brass wire, his hair is
closely cut, with a parting on one side, and his feet are without shoes.
He has two spears over his right shoulder, as his official position
requires him to be armed in this way. The customary weapon of the
Wagunda, as the people of the country are called, is a single spear; and
a person of any rank whatever would injure his reputation if he went
abroad without it."
The king sent presents of bananas, rice, fruit, and jars of pombé,
together with a large jar of milk, as he knew from experience that the
foreigners were fond of that article. He sent a high official to ask if
anything else was wanted. Doctor Bronson thanked the officer, both in
words and with a present, and told him their needs were all supplied.
The officer hid the Doctor's present under his cloak and went away, but
soon returned with the announcement that the king would hold court the
following morning and receive the strangers. As they were already
informed of this arrangement, the Doctor suspected that it was a device
to extort another present, and therefore paid no farther attention to
it.
[Illustration: VIEW Of RUBAGA FROM THE GREAT ROAD.]