They Were
Dressed In Plantain Leaves, Looking Like Grotesque Neptunes.
The
king, in his red coat and wideawake, conducted the arrangements,
ordering all to their proper places - the women, in certain
boats, the Wakungu and Wanguana in others, whilst I sat in the
same boat with him at his feet, three women holding mbugus of
pombe behind.
The king's Kisuahali now came into play, and he
was prompt in carrying out the directions he got from myself to
approach the hippopotami. But the waters were too large and the
animals too shy, so we toiled all the day without any effect,
going only once ashore to picnic; not for the women to eat - for
they, poor things, got nothing - but the king, myself, the pages,
and the principal Wakungu. As a wind-up to the day's amusement,
the king led the band of drums, changed the men according to
their powers, put them into concert pitch, and readily detected
every slight irregularity, showing himself a thorough musician.
This day requires no remark, everything done being the
counterpart of yesterday, excepting that the king, growing bolder
with me in consequence of our talking together, became more
playful and familiar - amusing himself, for instance, sometimes by
catching hold of my beard as the rolling of the boat unsteadied
him.
We started early in the usual manner; but after working up and
down the creek, inspecting the inlets for hippopotami, and tiring
from want of sport, the king changed his tactics, and, paddling
and steering himself with a pair of new white paddles, finally
directing the boats to an island occupied by the Mgussa, or
Neptune of the N'yanza, not in person - for Mgussa is a spirit -
but by his familiar or deputy, the great medium who communicates
the secrets of the deep to the king of Uganda. In another sense,
he might be said to be the presiding priest of the source of the
mighty Nile, and as such was, of course, an interesting person
for me to meet. The first operation on shore was picnicking,
when many large bugus of pombe were brought for the king; next,
the whole party took a walk, winking through the trees, and
picking fruit, enjoying themselves amazingly, till, by some
unlucky chance, one of the royal wives, a most charming creature,
and truly one of the best of the lot, plucked a fruit and offered
it to the king, thinking, doubtless, to please him greatly; but
he, like a madman, flew into a towering passion, said it was the
first time a woman ever had the impudence to offer him anything,
and ordered the pages to seize, bind, and lead her off to
execution.
These words were no sooner uttered by the king than the whole
bevy of pages slipped their cord turbans from their heads, and
rushed, like a pack of cupid beagles upon the fairy queen, who,
indignant at the little urchins daring to touch her majesty,
remonstrated with the king, and tried to beat them off like
flies, but was soon captured, overcome, and dragged away, crying,
in the names of the Kamraviona and Mzungu (myself), for help and
protection; whilst Lubuga, the pet sister, and all the other
women, clasped the king by his legs, and, kneeling, implored
forgiveness for their sister. The more they craved for mercy, the
more brutal he became, till at last he took a heavy stick and
began to belabour the poor victim on the head.
Hitherto I had been extremely careful not to interfere with any
of the king's acts of arbitrary cruelty, knowing that such
interference, at an early stage, would produce more harm than
good. This last act of barbarism, however, was too much for my
English blood to stand; and as I heard my name, Mzungu,
imploringly pronounced, I rushed at the king, and, staying his
uplifted arm, demanded from him the woman's life. Of course I
ran imminent risk of losing my own in thus thwarting the
capricious tyrant; but his caprice proved the friend of both.
The novelty of interference even made him smile, and the woman
was instantly released.
Proceeding on through the trees of this beautiful island, we next
turned into the hut of the Mgussa's familiar, which at the
farther end was decorated with many mystic symbols amongst others
a paddle, the badge of his high office - and for some time we sat
chatting, when pombe was brought, and the spiritual medium
arrived. He was dressed Wichwezi fashion, with a little white
goat-skin apron, adorned with numerous charms, and used a paddle
for a mace or walking stick. He was not an old man, though he
affected to be so - walking very slowly and deliberately,
coughing asthmatically, glimmering with his eyes, and mumbling
like a witch. With much affected difficulty he sat at the end of
the hut beside the symbols alluded to, and continued his coughing
full half an hour, when his wife came in in the same manner,
without saying a word, and assumed the same affected style. The
king jokingly looked at me and laughed, and then at these strange
creatures, by turn, as much as to say, What do you think of them?
but no voice was heard save that of the old wife, who croaked
like a frog for water, and, when some was brought, croaked again
because it was not the purest of the lake's produce - had the
first cup changed, wetted her lips with the second, and hobbled
away in the same manner as she came.
At this juncture the Mgussa's familiar motioned the Kamraviona
and several officers to draw around him, when, in a very low
tone, he gave them all the orders of the deep, and walked away.
His revelations seemed unpropitious, for we immediately repaired
to our boats and returned to our quarters. Here we no sooner
arrived than a host of Wakungu, lately returned from the Unyoro
war, came to pay their respects to the king:
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