Magic Charms, Of Course, We Had None; But The King Would Not
Believe It, And, To Wheedle Some Out Of
Us, said they would not
kill their brother even if they caught him - for fratricide was
considered an unnatural crime
In their country - but they would
merely gouge out his eyes and set him at large again; for without
the power of sight he could do them no harm.
I then recommended, as the best advice I could give him for the
time being, to take some strong measures against Suwarora and the
system of taxation carried on in Usui. These would have the
effect of bringing men with superior knowledge into the country -
for it was only through the power of knowledge that good
government could be obtained. Suwarora at present stopped eight-
tenths of the ivory-merchants who might be inclined to trade here
from coming into the country, by the foolish system of excessive
taxation he had established. Next I told him, if he would give
me one or two of his children, I would have them instructed in
England; for I admired his race, and believed them to have sprung
from our old friends the Abyssinians, whose king, Sahela
Selassie, had received rich presents from our Queen. They were
Christians like ourselves, and had the Wahuma not lost their
knowledge of God they would be so also. A long theological and
historical discussion ensued, which so pleased the king, that he
said he would be delighted if I would take two of his sons to
England, that they might bring him a knowledge of everything.
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