About
1600 Men Were Engaged On This Service, When The King, Standing On
A Carpet In Front Of The Middle
Hut of the first court, with two
spears in his hand and his dog by his side, surrounded by his
Brothers and a large staff of officers, gave orders for the
regiment to run to and fro in column, that he might see them
well; then turning to his staff, ordered them to run up and down
the regiment, and see what they thought of it. This ridiculous
order set them all flying, and soon they returned, charging at
the king with their sticks, dancing and jabbering that their
numbers were many, he was the greatest king on earth, and their
lives and services were his for ever. The regiment now received
orders to put down their faggots, and, taking up their own sticks
in imitation of spears, followed the antics of their officers in
charging and vociferating. Next, Mkavia presented five hairy
Usoga goats, n'yanzigging and performing the other appropriate
ceremonies. On asking the king if he had any knowledge of the
extent of his army, he merely said, "How can I, when these you
see are a portion of them just ordered here to carry wood?"
The regiment was now dismissed; but the officers were invited to
follow the king into another court, when he complimented them on
assembling so many men; they, instead of leaving well alone,
foolishly replied they were sorry they were not more numerous, as
some of the men lived so far away they shirked the summons;
Maula, then, ever forward in mischief, put a cap on it by saying,
if he could only impress upon the Waganda to listen to his
orders, there would never be a deficiency.
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