After
Sundry Jokes, Whilst We Were All Bursting With Laughter At The
Theatrical Phenomenon, The Wakungu Who Were Present, Some Twenty
In Number, Threw Themselves In Line Upon Their Bellies, And
Wriggling Like Fish, N'yanzigged, N'goned, And Demaned, And
Uttered Other Wonderful Words Of Rejoining - As, For Instance,
"Hai Minange!
Hai Mkama wangi!" (O my chief!
O my king!) -
whilst they continued floundering, kicking about their legs,
rubbing their faces, and patting their hands upon the ground, as
if the king had performed some act of extraordinary munificence
by showing himself to them in that strange and new position - a
thing quite enough to date a new Uganda era from.
The king, without deigning to look upon his grovelling subjects,
said, "Now, mother, take your medicine"; for he had been called
solemnly to witness the medical treatment she was undergoing at
my hands. When she had swallowed her quinine with a wry face,
two very black virgins appeared on the stage holding up the
double red blanket I had given the queen; for nothing, however
trifling, can be kept secret from the king. The whole court was
in raptures. The king signified his approval by holding his
mouth, putting his head on one side, and looking askance at it.
The queen looked at me, then at the blanket and her son in turn;
whilst my men hung down their heads, fearful lest they should be
accused of looking at the ladies of the court; and the Wakungu
n'yanzigged again, as if they could not contain the gratification
they felt at the favour shown them. Nobody had ever brought such
wonderful things to Uganda before, and all loved Bana.
Till now I had expected to vent my wrath on both together for all
past grievances, but this childish, merry, homely scene - the
mother holding up her pride, her son, before the state officers -
melted my heart at once. I laughed as well as they did, and said
it pleased me excessively to see them both so happy together. It
was well the king had broken through the old-fashioned laws of
Uganda, by sitting on an iron chair, and adopting European
dresses; for now he was opening a road to cement his own
dominions with my country. I should know what things to send that
would please him. The king listened, but without replying; and
said, at the conclusion, "It is late, now let us move"; and
walked away, preserving famously the lion's gait. The mother
also vanished, and I was led away to a hut outside, prepared for
my night's residence. It was a small, newly-built hut, just
large enough for my bed, with a corner for one servant; so I
turned all my men away, save one - ate my dinner, and hoped to
have a quiet cool night of it, when suddenly Maula flounced in
with all his boys, lighting a fire, and they spread their mbugus
for the night. In vain I pleaded I could not stand the
suffocation of so many men, especially of Waganda, who eat raw
plantains; and unless they turned out, I should do so, to benefit
by the pure air.
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