I Was Anxious, Of Course, To Go On With The Subject Thus
Unexpectedly Opened, But, As Ill-Luck Would Have It, An Adjutant
Was Espied Sitting On A Tree, When A Terrible Fuss And Excitement
Ensued.
The women were ordered one way and the attendants
another, whilst I had to load the gun on the best way I could
with the last charge and a half left in the king's pouch.
Ten
grains were all he would have allowed himself, reserving the
residue, without reflecting that a large bird required much shot;
and he was shocked to find me lavishly use the whole, and still
say it was not enough.
The bird was then at a great height, so that the first shot
merely tickled him, and drove him to another tree. "Woh! woh!"
cried the king, "I am sure he is hit; look there, look there;"
and away he rushed after the bird; down with one fence, then with
another, in the utmost confusion, everybody trying to keep his
proper place, till at last the tree to which the bird had flown
was reached, and then, with the last charge of shot, the king
killed his first nundo. The bird, however, did not fall, but lay
like a spread eagle in the upper branches. Wasoga were called to
climb the tree and pull it down; whilst the king, in ecstasies of
joy and excitement, rushed up and down the potato-field like a
mad bull, jumping and plunging, waving and brandishing the gun
above his head; whilst the drums beat, the attendants all woh-
wohed, and the women, joining with their lord, rushed about
lullalooing and dancing like insane creatures. Then began
congratulations and hand-shakings, and, finally, the inspection
of the bird, which, by this time, the Wasoga had thrown down.
Oh! oh! what a wonder! Its wings outspread reached further than
the height of a man; we must go and show it to the brothers.
Even that was not enough - we must show it to the mother; and away
we all rattled as fast as our legs could carry us.
Arrived at the queen's palace, out of respect to his mother, the
king changed his European clothes for a white kid-skin wrapper,
and then walked in to see her, leaving us waiting outside. By
this time Colonel Congow, in his full-dress uniform, had arrived
in the square outside, with his regiment drawn up in review
order. The king, hearing the announcement, at once came out with
spears and shield, preceded by the bird, and took post, standing
armed, by the entrance, encircled by his staff, all squatting,
when the adjutant was placed in the middle of the company.
Before us was a large open square, with the huts of the queen's
Kamraviona or commander-in- chief beyond. The battalion,
consisting of what might be termed three companies, each
containing 200 men, being drawn up on the left extremity of the
parade-ground, received orders to march past in single file from
the right of companies, at a long trot, and re-form again at the
other end of the square.
Nothing conceivable could be more wild or fantastic than the
sight which ensued - the men all nearly naked, with goat or cat
skins depending from their girdles, and smeared with war colours
according to the taste of each individual; one-half of the body
red or black, the other blue, not in regular order - as, for
instance, one stocking would be red, the other black, whilst the
breeches above would be the opposite colours, and so with the
sleeves and waistcoat. Every man carried the same arms - two
spears and one shield - held as if approaching an enemy, and they
thus moved in three lines of single rank and file, at fifteen to
twenty paces asunder, with the same high action and elongated
step, the ground leg only being bent, to give their strides the
greater force. After the men had all started, the captains of
companies followed, even more fantastically dressed; and last of
all came the great Colonel Congow, a perfect Robinson Crusoe,
with his long white-haired goat-skins, a fiddle-shaped leather
shield, tufted with white hair at all six extremities, bands of
long hair tied below the knees, and a magnificent helmet, covered
with rich beads of every colour, in excellent taste, surmounted
with a plume of crimson feathers, from the centre of which rose a
bent stem, tufted with goat-hair. Next they charged in companies
to and fro; and, finally, the senior officers came charging at
their king, making violent professions of faith and honesty, for
which they were applauded. The parade then broke up, and all went
home.
26th. - One of king Mtesa's officers now consenting to go to
N'yama Goma with some of my men, I sent Grant a quarter of goat.
The reply brought to me was, that he was very thankful for it;
that he cooked it and ate it on the spot; and begged I would see
the king, to get him released from that starving place. Rozaro
was given over to the custody of Kitunzi for punishment. At the
same time, the queen, having heard of the outrages committed
against her brother and women, commanded that neither my men nor
any of Rozaro's should get any more food at the palace; for as we
all came to Uganda in one body, so all alike were, by her logic,
answerable for the offence. I called at the palace for
explanation but could not obtain admittance because I would not
fire the gun.
27th. - The king sent to say he wanted medicine to propitiate
lightning. I called and described the effects of a lightning-
rod, and tried to enter into the Unyoro business, wishing to go
there at once myself. He objected, because he had not seen
Grant, but appointed an officer to go through Unyoro on to Gani,
and begged I would also send men with letters.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 143 of 207
Words from 145414 to 146417
of 210958
