Ignoring His Claims To
Imperial Rank, I Maintained That His Reason For Ill-Treating Us
Must Be Fear, - It Could Be Nothing Else.
This message acted
like magic; for he fully believed we would do as we said, and
disappoint him altogether of the strange sight of us as pure
white men.
The reply was, Kamrasi would not have us disfigured
in this way for all the world; men were appointed to convey our
traps to the west end at once; and Kidgwiga, Vittagura, and
Kajunju rushed over to give us the news in all hast lest we
should execute our threat, and they were glad to find us with our
faces unchanged. I now gave one cow to the head of Dr K'yengo's
party, and one to the head of Rumanika's men, because I saw it
was through their instrumentality we gained admittance in the
country; and we changed residence to the west end of Chaguzi, and
found there comfortable huts close to the Kafu, which ran
immediately between us and the palace.
Still our position in Unyoro was not a pleasant one. In a long
field of grass, as high as the neck, and half under water, so
that no walks could be taken, we had nothing to see but Kamrasi's
miserable huts and a few distant conical hills, of which one
Udongo, we conceive, represents the Padongo of Brun-Bollet,
placed by him in 1§ south latitude, and 35§ east longitude. We
were scarcely inside our new dwelling when Kamrasi sent a cheer
of two pots pombe, five fowls, and two bunches of plantains,
hoping we were now satisfied with his favour; but he damped the
whole in a moment again, by asking for a many-bladed knife which
his officers had seen in Grant's possession. I took what he
sent, from fear of giving offence, but replied that I was
surprised the great king should wish to see my property before
seeing myself, and although I attached no more value to my
property than he did to his, I could not demean myself by sending
him trifles in that way. However, should he, after hearing my
sentiments, still persist in asking for the knife to be sent by
the hands of a black man, I would pack it up with all the things
I had brought for him, and send them by a black man, judging that
he liked black men more than white.
Dr K'yengo's men then informed us they had been twice sent with
an army of Wanyoro to attack the king's brothers, on a river-
island north of this about three days' journey, but each time it
ended in nothing. You fancy yourself, they said, in a
magnificent army, but the enemy no sooner turn out than the
cowardly Wanyoro fly, and sacrifice their ally as soon as not
into the hands of the opponents. They said Kamrasi would not
expect us to attack them with our guns. Rionga was the head of
the rebels; there were formerly five, but now only two of the
brothers remained.
15th. - Kamrasi, after inquiring after our health, and how we had
slept, through a large deputation of head men, alluded to the
knife question of yesterday, thinking it very strange that after
giving me such nice food I should deny him the gratification of
simply looking at a knife; he did not intend to keep it if it was
not brought for him, but merely to look at and return it. To my
reply of yesterday I added, I had been led, before entering
Unyoro, to regard Kamrasi as the king of all kings - the greatest
king that ever was, and one worthy to be my father; but now, as
he expected me to amuse him with toys, he had lowered himself in
my estimation to the position of being my child. To this the
sages said, "Bana speaks beautifully, feelingly, and moderately.
Of course he is displeased at seeing his property preferred
before himself; all the right is on his side: we will now return
and see what can be done - though none but white men in their
greatest dare send such messages to our king."
Dr K'yengo's men were now attacked by Kidgwiga for having taken a
cow from me yesterday, and told they should not eat it, because
both they and myself were the king's guests, and it ill became
one to eat that which was given as a dinner for the other.
Fortunately, foreseeing this kind of policy, as Kamrasi had been
watching our actions, I invariably gave in presents those cows
which came with us from Uganda, and therefore defied any one to
meddle with them. This elicited the true facts of the case. Dr
K'yengo's men had been sent out to our camp to observe if anybody
received presents from us, as Kamrasi feared his subjects would
have the fleecing of us before his turn came; and these men had
reported the two cows given by me as mentioned above. Kamrasi no
sooner heard of this than he took the cows and kept them himself.
In their justification, Dr K'yengo's men said that had they not
been in the country before us, Kamrasi would not have had such
guests at all; for when he asked them if the Waganda reports
about our cannibalism and other monstrosities were true, their
head man denied it all, offered to stand security for our
actions, and told the king if he found us cannibals he might make
a Mohammedan of him, and sealed the statement with his oath by
throwing down his shield and bow and walking over them. To this
Kamrasi was said to have replied, "I will accept your statements,
but you must remain with me until they come."
Kajunju came with orders to say Kamrasi would seize anybody found
staring at us. I requested a definite answer would be given as
regards Kamrasi's seeing us. Dr K'yengo's men then said they
were kept a week waiting before they could obtain an interview,
whilst Kajunju excused his king by saying, "At present the court
is full of Kidi, Chopi, Gani, and other visitors, who he does not
wish should see you, as some may be enemies in disguise.
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