At First I Thought It Necessary, For The Sake Of Maintaining My
Dignity, To Raise Objections, And Said It Would
Ill become one of
my rank to make any request that might possibly be rejected; but
as the Kamraviona assured
Me there would be no chance of failure,
and everybody else agreed with him, I said it would give me
intense satisfaction to serve him; and the old man squeezed my
hand as if overpowered with joy.
This meeting, as might be imagined, was a very dull one, because
the company, being tongue-tied as regards everything of external
interest, occupied themselves solely on matters of home business,
or indulged their busy tongues, Waganda fashion, in gross
flattery of their "illustrious visitor." In imitation of the
king, the Kamraviona now went from one hut to another, requesting
us to follow that we might see all his greatness, and then took
me alone into a separate court, to show me his women, some five-
and-twenty of the ugliest in Uganda. This, he added, was a mark
of respect he had never conferred on any person before; but,
fearing lest I should misunderstand his meaning and covet any of
them, he said, "Mind they are only to be looked at."
As we retired to the other visitors, the Kamraviona, in return
for some courteous remarks of mine, said all the Waganda were
immensely pleased with my having come to visit them; and as he
heard my country is governed by a woman, what would I say if he
made the Waganda dethrone her, and create me king instead?
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