Two Loads Of Flowers, Neatly Packed In Long Strips Of Rushpith,
Were Sent For Us "To Consume At Once," As More Would Be Given On
The Morrow.
To keep us amused, Kidgwiga informed us that Kamrasi
and Mtesa - in fact, all the Wahuma - came originally from a stock
of the same tribe dwelling beyond Kidi.
All bury their dead in
the same way, under ground; but the kings are toasted first for
months till they are like sun-dried meat, when the lower jaw is
cut out and preserved, covered with beads. The royal tombs are
put under the charge of special officers, who occupy huts erected
over them. The umbilical cords are preserved from birth, and, at
death, those of men are placed within the door-frame, whilst
those of women are buried without - this last act corresponding,
according to Bombay, with the custom of the Wahiyow. On the
death of any of the great officers of state, the finger-bones and
hair are also preserved; or if they have died shaven, as
sometimes occurs, a bit of their mbugu dress will be preserved in
place of the hair. Their families guard their tombs.
The story we heard at Karague, about dogs with horns in Unyoro,
was confirmed by Kidgwiga, who positively assured us that he once
saw one in the possession of an official person, but it died. The
horn then was stuffed with magic powder, and, whenever an army
was ordered for war, it was placed on the war-track for the
soldiers to step over, in the same way as a child is sacrificed
to insure victory in Unyomuezi.
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