A Visit to a Distinguished Statesman - A Visit from the King -
Royal Sport - The Queen's Present of Wives - The Court Beauties and
their Reverses - Judicial Procedure in Uganda - Buffalo-Hunting - A
Musical Party - My Medical Practice - A Royal Excursion on the
N'yanza - The Canoes of Uganda - A Regatta - Rifle Practice -
Domestic Difficulties - Interference of a Magician - The King's
Brothers.
29th. - According to appointment I went early this morning to
visit Congow. He kept me some time waiting in his outer hut, and
then called me in to where I found him sitting with his women - a
large group, by no means pretty. His huts are numerous, the
gardens and courts all very neat and well kept. He was much
delighted with my coming, produced pombe, and asked me what I
thought of his women, stripping them to the waist. He assured me
that he had thus paid me such a compliment as nobody else had
ever obtained, since the Waganda are very jealous of one another-
-so much so, that any one would be killed if found starring upon
a woman even in the highways. I asked him what use he had for so
many women? To which he replied, "None whatever; the king gives
them to us to keep up our rank, sometimes as many as one hundred
together, and we either turn them into wives, or make servants of
them, as we please." Just then I heard that Mkuenda, the queen's
woman-keeper, was outside waiting for me, but dared not come in,
because Congow's women were all out; so I asked leave to go home
to breakfast, much to the surprise of Congow, who thought I was
his guest for the whole day.
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