The war-drum beaten—The wizards play their part—In full war-paint—
Bullets against spears—The Wavuma baulked—Mtesa’s fury—Victory or the
stake!—Hard fighting—The captive chief: a struggle between the pagan
and the Christian—A floating mystery—“Return, O spirit! the war is
ended!”—The camp on fire: a race for life.
_Sept. 14._—On the 14th of September the Emperor of Uganda decided to
give battle to the Wavuma, who were daily becoming bolder and more
boastful. In the morning, in accordance with Mtesa’s orders, forty
Waganda canoes sallied out from the beach in front of our camps to
Nakaranga Point, where they formed in line of battle before the
causeway, with the sterns of their canoes fronting Ingira, and their
bows towards Nakaranga Point.
Mtesa was followed by about three-fourths of his army when he proceeded
to the point to view the battle, and with him went the great war-drums,
to the number of fifty or thereabouts, and fifes about a hundred, and a
great number of men shaking gourds filled with pebbles, and the court
criers and mad charmers against evil were not wanting to create din and
noise, and celebrate victory.
A hut of ample size had been erected on the mountain slope overlooking
the strait, into which Mtesa and his favourite women retired. When the
Emperor was seated, the “prophets of Baal,” or the priests or
priestesses of the Muzimu, or witchcraft, came up, more than a hundred
in number, and offered the charms to Mtesa one after another in a most
tedious, ceremonious way, and to all of them Mtesa condescended to point
his imperial forefinger.
The chief priest was a most fantastically dressed madman. It is
customary before commencing a battle to carry all the potent medicines
or charms of Uganda (thus propitiating the dreadful Muzimu or evil
spirits) to the monarch, that he may touch or point his forefinger at
them. They consist of dead lizards, bits of wood, hide, nails of dead
people, claws of animals, and beaks of birds, a hideous miscellany, with
mysterious compounds of herbs and leaves carefully enclosed in vessels
ornamented with vari-coloured beads.
During the battle these wizards and witches chant their incantations,
and exhibit their medicines on high before the foe, while the
gourd-and-pebble bearers sound a hideous alarum, enough to cause the
nerves of any man except an African to relax at once.
Mtesa and his army were in full war-paint, and the principal men wore
splendid leopard skins over their backs, but the Wasoga bore the palm
for splendour of dress and ornate equipments.
Ankori the chief and his officers were wonderfully gay. Snow-white
ostrich plumes decorated their heads, and lion and leopard skins covered
their backs, while their loins were girded with snow-white, long-haired
monkey and goat skins; even the staves of their lances were ornamented
with feathers and rings of white monkey skin.
There was ample time afforded to observe all these things, and to be
exceedingly amused and interested in what promised to be an animating
scene, before all attention was drawn to and engaged by the battle. The
spectators were seated, safe from harm or danger, on the slope of
Nakaranga mountain, from the water’s edge to the mountain summit, tier
above tier, and rank above rank, in thousands upon thousands.
The canoes, having formed line, slowly moved sternwise towards Ingira.
The Wavuma were not inactive spectators of this manœuvre, but as yet
their warriors had not embarked. They were busy mustering, while those
appointed to garrison the island, with the women and children, several
thousands in number, sate down on the slopes of the opposite mountain of
Ingira Island. The rushes and weeds lining the water’s edge were too
tall and thick to enable us to estimate exactly the number of the
enemy’s war-canoes, but the brown-coloured prows, long and curving, of a
great many were seen thrust out from among the vivid green banana
plantations, or arranged on the rising beach of the island beyond its
reedy margin.
Having advanced with the utmost regularity of line, near enough to the
island to make their “Brown Bess” muskets effective, the Waganda began
to open fire in a steady, deliberate manner, and succeeded after a while
in annoying the foe and arousing him to action. At a given signal from
their chiefs, forth from the reeds and rushes shot the prows of the
Wavuma canoes; and then, giving utterance to most shrill war-cries, the
rowers impelled them from all quarters, to the number of 194, with an
extraordinary velocity upon the Waganda line, which now began to retire
slowly towards the causeway.
On the causeway at its farthest extremity were assembled a force of a
hundred musketeers and four small boat howitzers under the command of
the Katekiro and Mtesa’s factotum Tori.
The furious advance of the Wavuma soon caused the Waganda to hurry their
movements, and on approaching the causeway they parted their line,
rushing on either side of it, giving the Katekiro and Tori ample
opportunity to wreak their will on the pursuers. But owing to the want
of skill of the cannoniers, and the nervousness of the musketeers, very
little damage was inflicted on the Wavuma, but the noise and whirring of
lead and iron sufficed to check them, and caused them to withdraw with
much of the baffled aspect of hungry crocodiles cheated of their prey.
This was all the battle—but, short as it was, it had sufficed to prove
to me that Mtesa would be unable to take Ingira Island, garrisoned and
defended as it was by such a determined foe. After a while Mtesa
withdrew from the scene, the army returned to its quarters, and the
canoes of the Waganda, closely hugging the Nakaranga shore, went back to
their rendezvous, leaving the Wavuma masters of the situation.
During the afternoon of this day Mtesa held a grand levee, and when all
were assembled, he addressed them publicly to the effect that in a few
days another battle would be fought, but as he had heard very important
news, he intended to wait a while to ascertain if it was true.
Work progressed but languidly at the causeway. It was very tedious
waiting, but my time was principally occupied in teaching Mtesa and his
principal chiefs, and in gleaning such information as might enable me to
understand the complicated politics of the empire.
_Sept. 18._—Suddenly on the 18th of September, at early dawn, orders
were communicated to the chiefs to prepare for battle. The first
intelligence of it that I received was from the huge war-drums which
summoned both sailors and warriors to action.
But first a burzah, or council, was held. Though eager to learn the
news, I dared not appear too much interested in the war. Sabadu, who
would be present on guard, would be sure to relate to me all the details
of whatever transpired.
At night, though I interpolate it here for the benefit of the narrative,
gossipy Sabadu, whose retentive brain I knew I could trust, conveyed to
me a faithful report of the proceedings; and I cannot do better than
give it to the reader in Sabadu’s language.
“Ah! master, you have missed a sight. I never saw Mtesa as he was
to-day. Oh, it was awful! His eyes were as large as my fists. They
jumped from their sockets, and they were glowing as fire. Didn’t the
chiefs tremble! They were as children, whimpering and crying for
forgiveness. He said to them, ‘Wherein have I been unkind to you, that
you will not fight for me, for my slaves who were sent to Usoga have
returned saying there was not a man but either had joined me or had
already joined the Wavuma? Who gave you those clothes that you wear?
Who gave you those guns that you have? Was it not I? Did Suna my father
give his chiefs such fine things as I give? No; yet they fought for
him, and the boldest of them would not have dared to advise him to fly,
as you have done me. Am I not _Kabaka_? Is this not Uganda, as well
as my capital? Have I not my army here? And you, Katekiro, were you
not a peasant before I dressed you and set you up as a chief of Uddu?
And you, Chambarango, who made you a chief? And you, Mkwenda, and you,
Sekebobo, and you, Kimbugwé, Kitunzi, Kaeema, Kangau, Kagu, speak, was
it not Mtesa who made you chiefs? Were you princes, that you came to be
made chiefs, or peasants whom it was my pleasure to make chiefs? Ah,
ha! I shall see to-day who will not fight; I will see to-day who dares
to run away from the Wavuma. By the grave of my father, I will burn the
man over a slow fire who runs away or turns his back, and the peasant
who distinguishes himself to-day shall eat his land. Look out for
yourselves, chiefs. I will sit down to-day and watch for the coward,
and the coward I will burn. I swear it.’ Instantly the Katekiro fell on
his face to the earth, and cried, ‘Kabaka’ (emperor), ‘send me to-day
to fight, watch my flag, and if I turn my back to the Wavuma, then take
and burn me or cut me to little pieces.’ The example of the Katekiro
was followed by the other chiefs, and they all swore to be desperately
brave.”
About 8.30 A.M., while I was at the point of Nakaranga, the sound of
drums approached me, and I knew that the council was ended, and that the
battle would soon begin. Mtesa appeared anything but a Christian,
judging from his looks. Fires of fury shot from his eyes; and pages,
women, chiefs, and all seemed awe-stricken. I was then ignorant of what
had taken place, but when I observed the absence of Chambarango, and
several of the great Wakungu, or generals, I felt assured that Mtesa had
lately been in the midst of a scene.
Presently other drums sounded from the water-side, and soon the
beautiful canoes of Uganda appeared in view. The entire war-fleet of 230
vessels rode gracefully on the calm grey waters of the channel.
The line of battle, I observed, was formed by Chambarango, in command of
the right flank, with fifty canoes; Sambuzi, Mukavya, Chikwata, and
Saruti, all sub-chiefs, were ranged with 100 canoes under the command of
Kauta, the imperial steward, to form the centre; the left flank was in
charge of the gallant Mkwenda, who had eighty canoes. Tori commanded a
force of musketeers, and with his four howitzers was stationed on the
causeway, which was by this time 200 yards from the shore.
In the above manner the fleet of vessels, containing some 16,000 men,
moved to the attack upon Ingira. The centre, defended by the flanks,
which were to menace the rear of the Wavuma should they approach near
the causeway, resolutely advanced to within thirty yards of Ingira, and
poured in a most murderous fire among the slingers of the island, who,
imagining that the Waganda meant to carry the island by storm, boldly
stood exposed, resolved to fight. But they were unable to maintain that
courageous behaviour long. Mkwenda then moved up from the left, and
attacked with his musketeers the Wavuma on the right, riddling their
canoes, and making matters specially hot for them in that quarter.
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[_To face page 260._
[Illustration: ONE OF THE GREAT NAVAL BATTLES BETWEEN THE WAGANDA AND
THE WAVUMA, IN THE CHANNEL BETWEEN INGIRA ISLAND AND CAPE NAKARANGA.]
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The Wavuma, seeing matters approaching a crisis, and not wishing to die
tamely, manned their canoes, and 196 dashed impetuously, as at first,
from the rushes of Ingira with loud shrill yells, and the Waganda lines
moved backward to the centre of the channel, where they bravely and
coolly maintained their position. As the centre of the Uganda line
parted in front of the causeway and disclosed the hotly advancing enemy,
Tori aimed the howitzers and fired at a group of about twenty canoes,
completely shattering more than half of them, and reloading quickly, he
discharged several bolts of iron three inches long among them with
terrible effect. Before this cool bearing of the Waganda, the Wavuma
retired to their island again, and we saw numbers of canoes discharging
their dead and wounded, and the Waganda were summoned to Nakaranga shore
to receive the congratulations of the Emperor and the applause of the
vast multitude. Mtesa went down to the water’s edge to express his
satisfaction at their behaviour.
“Go at them again,” said he, “and show them what fighting is.” And the
line of battle was again formed, and again the Wavuma darted from the
cover of the reeds and water-cane, with the swiftness of hungry sharks;
beating the water into foam with their paddles, and rending the air with
their piercing yells. It was one of the most exciting and animating
scenes I ever beheld; but, owing to the terror of the stake with which
their dread monarch had threatened them, the Waganda distinguished
themselves for coolness and method, and the Wavuma, as on a former
occasion, for intrepidity and desperate courage.
A third time the Waganda were urged to the battle, and a third time the
unconquerable and desperate enemy dashed on them, to be smitten and
wounded sore in a battle where they had not the least chance of
returning blow for blow without danger of being swept by the cannon and
muskets on the causeway.
A third battle was fought a few days after between 178 Wavuma canoes and
122 Waganda; but had the Waganda possessed the spirit and dash of their
enemies, they might have decided the war on this day, for the Wavuma
were greatly dispirited.
A fourth battle was fought the next day by 214 Waganda canoes and 203
Wavuma canoes, after the usual delay and premonitory provocation. The
Wavuma obtained the victory most signally, chasing the Waganda within 40
yards of Nakaranga Cape, and being only driven from their prey by the
musketeers and the howitzers on the causeway, which inflicted great
execution on them at such close quarters. The Waganda did not attempt a
second trial this day, for they were disorganized and dispirited after
the signal defeat they had experienced.
The fleet of the Waganda returned to their rendezvous with the jeers and
scoffs of the intrepid Wavuma ringing in their ears. On enquiring into
the cause of the disaster, I learned that Mtesa’s gunpowder was almost
exhausted, and that he had scarcely a round left for each musket. This
fact alarmed him, and compelled him to request me to lend him my powder
in the camp at Dumo, which was refused in such a decided tone that he
never repeated the request.
_Oct. 5._—It was now the 5th of October, and I had left my camp on the
12th of August. It was necessary that I should participate in some
manner in the war and end it. Yet I scarcely knew how I should act
effectively to produce results beneficial to all parties. For though my
own interests and the welfare of the Expedition were involved and in a
manner staked on the success of the Waganda, and though a passive
partisan of Mtesa, yet the brave Wavuma, by their magnificent daring and
superb courage, had challenged my fullest sympathies. My energies and
thoughts were bent, therefore, upon discovering a solution of the
problem how to injure none, yet satisfy all.
It was clear that the Wavuma would not surrender without a frightful
waste of life; it was equally evident that Mtesa would not relax his
hold upon them without some compensation or satisfaction, nor assist me
in my projects of exploration unless I aided him in some manner.
At length I devised a plan which I thought would succeed; but before I
was enabled to perfect my scheme an incident occurred which called for
my immediate intervention.
Mtesa, by means of his scouts, had succeeded in capturing one of the
principal chiefs of the Wavuma, and his Wakungu and principal strangers
had been invited to be present to witness the execution of this chief at
the stake.
When I arrived at the scene, a large quantity of faggots had already
been collected to burn him. By this mode of punishment, Mtesa thought he
would be able to strike terror into the souls of the Wavuma.
Mtesa was in high glee when I entered the council: he was unable to hide
the triumph he felt at the terrible vengeance he was about to take for
the massacre of Webba, his favourite page, and the peace party.
“Now, Stamlee,” he said, “when the chief is at the stake,”—he was an old
man of sixty or thereabouts—“you shall see how a chief of Uvuma dies. He
is about to be burnt. The Wavuma will tremble when they hear of the
manner of his death.”
“Ah, Mtesa,” I said, “have you forgotten the words of the good book
which I have read to you so often? ‘If thy brother offend thee, thou
shalt forgive him many times.’ ‘Love thy enemies.’ ‘Do good to them that
hate you.’ ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ ‘Forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.’”
“But this man is a native of Uvuma, and the Wavuma are at war with me.
Have you forgotten Webba?”
“No, I remember poor little Webba. I saw him die, and I was very sorry.”
“Shall this man not die, Stamlee? Shall I not have blood for him,
Stamlee?”
“No.”
“But I shall, Stamlee. I will burn this man to ashes. I will burn every
soul I catch. I will have blood! blood! the blood of all in Uvuma.”
“No, Mtesa! no more blood. It is time the war was ended.”
“What!” said Mtesa, bursting into one of those paroxysms of fury which
Sabadu had so graphically described. “I will slay every soul in Uvuma,
will cut down every plantain, and burn every man, woman, and child on
that island. By the grave of my father Suna, I will.”
“No, Mtesa, you must stop this wild pagan way of thinking. It is only a
pagan who always dreams of blood and talks of shedding blood as you do.
It is only the pagan boy Mtesa who speaks now. It is not the man Mtesa
whom I saw, and whom I made a friend. It is not ‘Mtesa the Good,’ whom
you said your people loved. It is not Mtesa the Christian, it is the
savage. Bah! I have had enough of you, I know you now.”
“Stamlee! Stamlee! Wait a short time, and you will see. What are you
waiting for?” he said, suddenly turning round to the executioners, who
were watching his looks.
Instantly the poor old man was bound; but, suddenly rising, I said to
Mtesa, “Listen to one word. The white man speaks but once. Listen to me
for the last time. You remember the tale of Kintu which you told me the
other day. He left the land of Uganda because it stank with blood. As
Kintu left Uganda in the old, old days, I shall leave it, never to
return. To-day Kintu is looking down upon you from the spirit-land, and
as he rebuked Ma’anda for murdering his faithful servant, so is he
rebuking you to-day through me. Yes, kill that poor old man, and I shall
leave you to-day, unless you kill me too, and from Zanzibar to Cairo I
shall tell every Arab I meet what a murderous beast you are, and through
all the white man’s land I shall tell with a loud voice what wicked act
I saw Mtesa do, and how the other day he wanted to run away because he
heard a silly old woman say the Wasoga were marching upon him. How grand
old Kamanya must have wept in the spirit-land when he heard of Mtesa
about to run away. How the lion-hearted Suna must have groaned when he
saw Mtesa shiver in terror because an old woman had had a bad dream.
Good-bye, Mtesa. You may kill the Mvuma chief, but I am going, and shall
not see it.”
Mtesa’s face had been a picture wherein the passions of brutish fury and
thirsty murder were portrayed most faithfully; but at the mention of
Suna and Kamanya in the spirit-land looking down upon him, the tears
began to well in his eyes, and finally, while they rolled in large drops
down his face, he sobbed loudly like a child, while the chiefs and
executioners, maintaining a deathly silence, looked very uncomfortable.
Tori the cannonier and Kauta the steward, however, sprang up, and,
unrolling their head-dresses, officiously wiped Mtesa’s face, while the
poor wayward man murmured audibly as I walked away from the scene:—
“Did not Stamlee talk about the spirit-land, and say that Suna was angry
with me? Oh, he speaks too true, too true! Oh father, forgive me,
forgive me.” After which, I was told he suddenly broke away from the
council.
An hour afterwards I was summoned by a page to his presence, and Mtesa
said:—
“Stamlee will not say Mtesa is bad now, for he has forgiven the Mvuma
chief, and will not hurt him. Will Stamlee say that Mtesa is good now?
And does he think Suna is glad now?”
“Mtesa is very good,” and I clasped his hand warmly. “Be patient, all
shall come out right, and Kintu and Suna must be glad when they see that
Mtesa is kind to his guests. I have something to tell you. I have
thought over your trouble here, and I want to finish this war for your
good without any more trouble. I will build a structure which shall
terrify the Wavuma, and make them glad of a peace, but you must give me
plenty of men to help me, and in three days I shall be ready. Meantime
shout out to the Wavuma from the causeway that you have something which
will be so terrible that it will finish the war at once.”
“Take everybody, do anything you like; I will give you Sekebobo and all
his men.”
_Oct. 6._—The next morning Sekebobo brought about 2000 men before my
quarters, and requested to know my will. I told him to despatch 1000 men
to cut long poles 1 inch thick, 300 to cut poles 3 inches thick and 7
feet long, 100 to cut straight long trees 4 inches thick, and 100 to
disbark all these, and make bark rope. Himself and 500 men I wished to
assist me at the beach. The chief communicated my instructions and urged
them to be speedy, as it was the Emperor’s command, and himself
accompanied me to the canoe fleet.
[Illustration: THE FLOATING FORTLET MOVING TOWARDS INGIRA.]
I selected three of the strongest-built canoes, each 70 feet long and 6½
feet wide, and, after preparing a space of ground near the water’s edge,
had them drawn up parallel with one another, and 4 feet apart from each
other. With these three canoes I began to construct a floating platform,
laying the tall trees across the canoes, and lashing them firmly to the
thwarts, and as fast as the 7-foot poles came, I had them lashed in an
upright position to the thwarts of the outer canoes, and as fast as the
inch poles arrived, I had them twisted in among these uprights, so that,
when completed, it resembled an oblong stockade, 70 feet long by 27 feet
wide, which the spears of the enemy could not penetrate.
_Oct. 7._—On the afternoon of the second day, the floating fort was
finished, and Mtesa and his chiefs came down to the beach to see it
launched and navigated for a trial trip. The chiefs, when they saw it,
began to say it would sink, and communicated their fears to Mtesa, who
half believed them. But the Emperor’s women said to him: “Leave Stamlee
alone; he would not make such a thing if he did not know that it would
float.”
_Oct. 8._—On receiving orders to launch it, I selected sixty paddlers
and 150 musketeers of the bodyguard to stand by to embark as soon as it
should be afloat, and appointed Tori and one of my own best men to
superintend its navigation, and told them to close the gate of the fort
as soon as they pushed off from the land. About 1000 men were then set
to work to launch it, and soon it was floating in the water, and when
the crew and garrison, 214 souls, were in it, it was evident to all that
it rode the waves of the lake easily and safely—
“The invention all admired, and each how he
To be the inventor missed, so easy it seemed
Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought
Impossible”—
and a burst of applause from the army rewarded the inventor.
Several long blue Kaniki and white and red cloths were hoisted above
this curious structure, which, when closed up all round, appeared to
move of its own accord in a very mysterious manner, and to conceal
within its silent and impenetrable walls some dread thing, well
calculated to strike terror into the mind of the ignorant savage.
_Oct. 13._—At eight o’clock on the morning of the 13th of October the
army was assembled at Nakaranga with unusual display, and it was
proclaimed across the strait from the extremity of the causeway that a
terrible thing was approaching which would blow them into atoms if they
did not make peace at once and acknowledge the power of Mtesa; and I
believe that they declared that all the Muzimus and the charms of Uganda
were within, for I heard something said about Muzimu and Uganda. The old
Mvuma chief was also placed in prominent view, and induced to urge them
to accept the terms which Mtesa offered, viz. pardon to all, provided
they went through the form of submission. After this announcement, which
was made with all gravity, the awful mysterious structure appeared,
while the drums beat a tremendous sound, and the multitude of horns blew
a deafening blast.
It was a moment of anxiety to me, for manifold reasons. The fort,
perfectly defensible in itself against the most furious assaults by men
armed with spears, steadily approached the point, then steered direct
for the island of Ingira, until it was within fifty yards.
“Speak,” said a stentorian voice amid a deathly silence within. “What
will you do? Will you make peace and submit to Mtesa, or shall we blow
up the island? Be quick and answer.”
There was a moment’s consultation among the awe-stricken Wavuma.
Immediate decision was imperative. The structure was vast, totally
unlike anything that was ever visible on the waters of their sea. There
was no person visible, yet a voice spoke clear and loud. Was it a
spirit, the Wazimu of all Uganda, more propitious to their enemy’s
prayers than those of the Wavuma? It might contain some devilish, awful
thing, something similar to the evil spirits which in their hours of
melancholy and gloom their imagination invoked. There was an audacity
and confidence in its movements that was perfectly appalling.
“Speak,” repeated the stern voice; “we cannot wait longer.”
Immediately, to our relief, a man, evidently a chief, answered, “Enough,
let Mtesa be satisfied. We will collect the tribute to-day, and will
come to Mtesa. Return, O spirit, the war is ended!” At which the
mysterious structure solemnly began its return back to the cove where it
had been constructed, and the quarter of a million of savage human
beings, spectators of the extraordinary scene, gave a shout that seemed
to split the very sky, and Ingira’s bold height repeated the shock of
sound back to Nakaranga.
Three hours afterwards a canoe came from Ingira Island, bearing fifty
men, some of whom were chiefs. They brought with them several tusks of
ivory, and two young girls, daughters of the two principal chiefs of
Uvuma. These were the tribute. The ivory was delivered over to the
charge of the steward, and the young girls were admitted to the harem of
Mtesa, into the mystery of which no man dare penetrate and live. The old
Mvuma chief was surrendered to his tribe, and thus the long war
terminated on the evening of the 13th of October, 1875.
Glad shouts from both sides announced all parties equally pleased. The
same afternoon the canoe fleet of Uganda, which had by this time been
reduced to 275 in number, was escorted as far as Jinja by twenty Wavuma
canoes, and after it had departed and rounded Namagongo Point, releasing
their late foe from all fear of treachery, the Wavuma canoes presented
us with a peaceful exhibition of their dexterity, and gave us an
opportunity of viewing them more distinctly than we had previously been
able to do through the smoke of gunpowder.
_Oct. 15._—We set out next morning, the 15th of October, at three
o’clock. We were wakened by the tremendous “Jojussu,” the great king of
war-drums. Instantly we began to pack up, but I was scarcely dressed
before my people rushed up to me, crying that the immense camp was fired
in a hundred different places. I rushed out of my hut, and was astounded
to see that the flames devoured the grass huts so fast that, unless we
instantly departed, we should be burnt along with them. Hastily
snatching my pistols, I bade the Wangwana shoulder the goods and follow
me as they valued their lives.
The great road from Mtesa’s quarters to Nakaranga Point, though 100 feet
wide, was rendered impassable by furious, overlapping waves of fire.
There was only one way left, which was up the slope of Nakaranga
mountain, and through the camp of the Wasoga. We were not alone in the
attempt to escape by this way, for about 60,000 human beings had sought
the same path, and were wedged into an almost solid mass, so great was
the danger and the anxiety to be away from the cruel sea of fire below.
It was a grand scene, but a truly terrible one; and I thought, as I
looked down on it, that the Waganda were now avenging the dead Wavuma
with their own hands, for out of a quarter of a million human beings
there must have been an immense number of sick unable to move. Besides
these, what numbers of witless women and little ones having lost
presence of mind must have perished; and how many must have been
trampled down by the rush of such a vast number to escape the
conflagration! The wide-leaping, far-reaching tongues of flame
voraciously eating the dry, tindery material of the huts, and blown by a
strong breeze from the lake, almost took my breath away, and several
times I felt as if my very vitals were being scorched; but with heads
bent low we charged on blindly, knowing no guide save the instinct of
self-preservation.
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[_To face page 268._
[Illustration: THE NAPOLEON CHANNEL, LAKE VICTORIA, FROM THE HEIGHTS
ABOVE THE RIPON FALLS. FLOTILLA OF THE EMPEROR OF UGANDA CROSSING FROM
USOGA TO UGANDA.]
(_From a photograph by the Author._)
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As soon as an opportunity permitted, I looked after the laggards of my
party, and by dint of severity kept them together, but three or four
were more than half inclined to give in before we breathed cooler air,
and could congratulate ourselves upon our safety.
Indignant at such a murderous course, for I mentally taxed Mtesa with
this criminal folly, I marched my party far from the route of the
Waganda army, and though repeatedly urged by Mtesa to attach myself to
his party, I declined to do so until he should explain to me why he had
commanded the camp to be fired without giving warning to his people or
to myself, his guest. His messenger at once acquitted him of such gross
recklessness, and declared that he had arrested several persons
suspected of having fired the camp, and that he himself had suffered the
loss of goods and women in the flames. I thereupon, glad that he was not
the author of the catastrophe, sent my salaams, and a promise to rejoin
him at Ugungu, on the Uganda side of the Ripon Falls, which I did on the
18th of October.
[Illustration:
FISH FOUND IN LAKE VICTORIA.
Sama-Moa, in the Nyassa tongue; round, open-mouthed, scaled, and
pig-headed-looking creature, 20 inches long.
]