WE have already stated that Emin Pasha is the
last of the heroes of
the Soudan and worthy to rank with General Gordon, whose
fame is now a cherished treasure not only by his own
country,
but by all the nations of Christendom. For a number of
years
Emin has been the central figure around which interest
in the Dark Con-
tinent gathered. He has told in his own graphic way the
story of his
exploits in Africa, and we cannot do a greater favor
to the reader than to
let him peruse this stirring account as it is given by
the pen of Emin
Pasha himself The following is Emin's graphic description
of his
travels in the Dark Continent :
It was in May of the year 1877 that His Excellency Gordon
Pasha,
prompted by the wish to be on good terms with the Negro
princes in the
south, entrusted me with the honorable commission to
visit, if possible,
the king of Unyoro, Kabrega, who, since Baker's retreat
from Masindi,
had always been our enemy, and to try and bring about
a peaceable
solution of existing difficulties. Favored by fortune,
I succeeded in my
mission, and the following pages are the result of my
stay with Kabrega.
Few travellers have as yet seen Unyoro, which circumstance
may lend to
these notes a special value. It also struck me, while
perusing Baker's
books, that they contained very little information with
regard to land
and people, habits and customs. I therefore set myself
the task of col-
lecting all that I could learn upon these subjects, in
which endeavor my
knowledge of the language was an essential help.
We left Mruli on December 13, 1877. The road, as far as
Kisuga,
was already well known to us, and led through a slightly
hilly country
gently sloping away from the river towards Khor KafLi,
into which it
drains, and abounding in the thorny acacia. The ascent
towards the
west is very gradual indeed, and it is only made apparent
by the denuda-
tion of all the higher parts, which has laid bare the
red clayey subsoil,,
whilst the hollows are filled up with the grey fine-grained
loamy deposit
which is so characteristic of this country. Aloes abound.
A circular
basin, cut, as it were, in the red ground and filled
with clear water, pro-
vided a welcome resting-place for my porters, who, after
a short repose,
continued the journey, and, two hours later, stopped
for their midday
rest under a group of trees, and near little pools of
water. A bush with
shining dark green leaves and white blossoms, resembling
a passion-
flower, the stamens of which were of a yellowish white
color, and the
pistils red and yellow, was quite new to me. The red
berries are eaten
by children
Drenched with Bain.
My companion, Kapempe, a Motongali of Kabrega's, entertained
me
by mimicking in a most amusing way the gestures of the
porters who-
found their burdens too heavy. These people express astonishment
in
a way quite new to me — a rapid raising of the closed
fists to the crown of
the head, from which they are drawn energetically to
the forehead. The
rumbling of thunder in the distance and dark clouds overhead
warned us
to start, but we were hardly on our way, when the rain
poured down ia
torrents. Every moment a porter would stop to cover himself
with a
banana-leaf, or to take off the ox-hide which serves
him for a dress, in
order to protect it from the rain, which renders it hard.
In this way the
whole column was brought to a standstill — a very pleasant
episode in
such rain as this, which poured in at one's collar and
out at one's boots I
Then, in great haste, we again started forward, through
banana fields
till, after a march of seven hours, we reached Kisuga,
where we were
obliged to rest the next day to dry our baggage.
When at last we were ready to start, one of the soldiers
who accom-
panied me was taken ill, I expect, from fear of the dangers
he appre-
hended on the journey. I had therefore but one soldier
left to take
charge of my horse, and my two servants, boys between
ten and twelve
years of age — an imposing escort ! Being put on my guard
by Baker's
account of Kabrega's talent for begging, I left everything-
that was not
absolutely indispensable, even my gun, in Kisuga; and
then we started
in the direction of Londu, along the road we had previously
trodden,
through tall grass and numerous banana groves, in which
reddish-yellow
flowers threw their tendrils across our path. The soldiers
marched in.
total silence, a contrast to the noisy Waganda ; no drum
was carried
with us. Our halts became frequent, and the porters seemed
to be very
hungry, as on every possible opportunity they picked
up some bananas
or a sweet potato. Towards midday we reached Londu, the
defenceless
stockade of which, with many a spot charred black by
fire, produced a
very painful impression. Small herds of bullocks and
goats and a few
solitary inhabitants were visible in the vicinity.
Ox-hide Clothing.
After having settled ourselves for the night as best we
could, we sent
to the chief of the district, who lived near, to request
porters for the
morrow, as Kabrega had promised them. I should have preferred
my
own porters from Mruli, as I could then have been more
independent in
my movements ; but Rionga's people absolutely refused
to follow me
into the land of their deadly enemy, and thus I had to
rely upon Kab-
rega's people. Biabo, the Matongali who had charge of
this place, a
corpulent young man with slightly prognathous features,
paid me a visit
in company with five or six of his men. They were reddish-brown
in
color, except one who was deep black — a man from the
district of
Shifalu, which lies near the rapids of Tada. The color
of the people
throughout this country is very various, and graduates
from black to
yellow; yet, for the most part, the fundamental color
is red. The
people are clothed in soft ox-hides, from which the hair
has been
removed, except at the borders, where a strip of hair
of two fingers'-
breadth has been left as an ornament ; their costume
is completed by
arm- rings and anklets made of brass and necklets composed
of
roots. The head is not shaved — shaving is a sign of
mourning — indeed
you often see very elegant corkscrew-like curls. A small
present of
beads procured me in return several baskets full of sweet
potatoes, and
as I had brought a bullock with me from Kisuga and presented
it to my
porters, song and revelry lasted far into the night.
During the night rain began to fall gently, and early
in the morning
it poured down in torrents ; but in spite of that the
promised porters
arrived, and I prepared for the journey. Considering,
however, that the
baggage would get an unavoidable soaking, and that the
troublesome
and useless tent we had dragged with us required, when
wet, five men
to carry it, I determined to wait ; and I did well, for
at two o'clock it
still rained as persistently as ever, so our further
march was put off until
the following morning. My porters, who last night devoured
an ox,
were now lying hungrily around a smoking fire ; and I
too had only
what was absolutely necessary.
Next morning a very cloudy sky did not promise well for
our further
journey; nevertheless we broke up camp in good time in
order to reach
our distant quarters at the appointed hour. A very hilly
country spread
itself out before us ; both sides of the way were flanked
with solitary
hills, and our progress was rendered irksome by antediluvian
grass and
bushes often ten feet high. Magnificent growths of papyrus
fringed the
watercourses. This day, too, we did not escape the rain
; and as only
grass and forest lay before us, and neither huts nor
plantations were to
be seen, we were compelled to press vigorously forwards,
until, about
two o'clock in the afcernoon, we reached a small group
of miserable huts,
where we were obliged to remain for the night.
A Valuable Present.
The inhabitants had fled at our approach, but we found
fires still burn-
ing in the huts. Matongali Vukimba, the chief of the
village, did not
keep us long waiting, for we had hardly placed our things
under cover
when he, accompanied by two subchiefs and several of
his people, put in
an appearance, to pay his respects to me and to present
me with a goat
and two sheep — quite a luxury. The people impressed
me favorably;
they were modest and unpretentious, and satisfied with
anything that
was given them. If they were allowed to choose between
glass beads
and cloth, they preferred the latter. This place was
called Kimanya.
The Wanyoro appear to be very much afraid of dew and rain;
at any
rate they will never get up early in the morning ; and
if, when on the
march, they come upon grass wet with dew, they lay down
their loads
and quickly tie before therfi either a large banana-leaf
or a bunch of dry
leaves in order to protect themselves. A woman who was
travelling
with us was so completely covered with dead leaves that
she looked
•exactly like a wandering withered bush.
On the 18th we started very early, but after ten minutes'
march we
came to a halt near an extensive plantation of bananas
and sweet pota-
toes, in order to change our porters. Matongali Vukimba
had the
ibest intentions ; but much palaver and some blows were
required before
he was able to convince the people that they must go
on; and when,
after a quarter of an hour's halt, we were again on the
move, he followed
us, with one of his subchiefs, gesticulating and shouting
in such an ener-
getic manner that I expected every minute a fight would
ensue. At last,
however, the dispute was settled, and soon after Vukimba
turned back to
Jiis village.
We then proceeded upon our way, stoppmg, however, at every
group
of huts to try and press porters into our service. The
road led at first
through fine fields and banana groves, then up and down
through high
wild grass. On either hand, at a distance of two or three
miles, there
rose mountain groups forming distinct ranges. Magnificent
"gallery "
woods skirted two muddy rain-gutters, which we crossed.
The silvery-haired guereza was seen among the tops of
gigantic trees
uhich were enveloped in climbing plants. Other monkeys
swung among
the creepers, and phoenix bushes formed the underwood.
In the hollows
where the rain collects there was very little water ;
it reaches nearly to
our waists; but the mud and imbedded roots made our progress
diffi-
cult. 1 he horse I had with me was perfectly useless
; I managed far
better on foot.
Very Difficult Marching.
A short march brought us to another stream with magnificent
" gal-
lery " woods. The red tulip-like flowers of the spathodia
shone against
the thick dark foliage like flames of fire. We now left
the high grass
and marched upon a road which had been formed by pulling
up the
grass and cutting down the trees. Unfortunately, however,
marching
was rendered very difficult by the existence of deep
holes where roots
had been pulled up. For some distance a stream flowed
by us at our
right hand, its course being marked by dense foliage
of overhanging
shrubs. We then once more arrived at clearings, where
bananas, sweet
potatoes, and lubias intermingled, and here and there
the green stalks of
maize were seen, or the broad leaves of Virginian tobacco.
Compounds
containing three or four huts lay scattered throughout
the cultivated
land. They were hemispherical, and their grass roofs
stretched down to
the ground all round, except where a porch was formed
over the door.
The frames were made of light reed wickerwork and supported
by nu-
merous poles. Inside, the huts were not exactly inviting
; they were
divided into two compartments, the floors of which were
covered with
hay, and infested by innumerable mice, cock-roaches,
crickets, and fleas.
Household utensils were not numerous, for the inhabitants
had fled
before us, taking all their treasures with them.
Handsome Young Chief.
We halted at Kitongali, in one of these clearings, where
I was fortu-
nate enough to obtain three huts for myself, my people,
and my belong-
ings. Here I had the pleasure of a visit from the village
chief, a good-
looking young man, whose father is Kabrega's confidant.
He made
quite an imposing figure, being clad in thin white skins,
over which hung
a reddish-brown loose robe ; his servant bore after him
a double-
barrelled sporting-gun. The usual presents having been
exchanged, he
sent a messenger to Kabrega to apprise him of my approach,
for the
next day we expected to reach our destination. If, however,
I under-
stand African ceremonials rightly, many a day will still
pass before I
reach Kabrega's, although we are quite near to his residence.
It is always uncomfortable to travel during the rainy
season, because
you are never master of the situation, which, indeed,
leaving the rain out
of question, is rarely the case. From midnight the thunder
rolled on all
sides, thick fog enveloped the country, and it rained
as if it were abso-
lutely necessary for the clouds to rid themselves of
their whole contents
that day. Of course, it was no good thinking of further
progress in such
weather ; and to make matters worse, my hut was not water-tight.
I
had seen none of my people that day, for, on account
of the rain, and
possibly also of hunger — for meat does not satisfy them,
and corn could
not be obtained — they were having a long sleep.
Notwithstanding my orders that if the sun came out I intended
to
march forward, no preparations were made for a start.
My people
informed me flatly that the grass was too wet and the
sun too hot, and
that therefore I must wait until the next morning. A
beautifully colored
woodpecker hammered upon a tree-trunk, which process
he accompanied
by an angry twittering, as if he were indignant at his
tiresome work. In
the evening we heard- the almost deafening chirping of
a huge brown
grasshopper. The creature is three inches long ; it had
been attracted
by the light, and hopped about the hut.
All the trees were literally covered with the nests of
astrilda, in which
I found both eggs and young. A lower nest contained the
mother (at
night) and her eggs. Above this was a small nest for
the father.
A Manlike Animal.
The chimpanzee is not uncommon in the southern districts
of Unyoro.
It inhabits the woods as far north as Kiroto and Masindi,
whereas in
Uganda it remains much farther to the south, and, so
far as I know, it is
not seen farther north than Uddu. It is called it Unyoro
kingabaniu
(manlike). This, in connection with Schweinfurth's reports
from the
Nyam-Nyam districts, shows that its northern boundary
is dependent
upon thenature of the vegetation. People here say that
it has nests in
the trees, and as it chooses the highest trees to build
in, it is very diffi-
cult to catch. It appears that this ape is found much
more frequent)}- in
the Monbuttu and Nyam-Nyam districts than here, probably
because
the thicker woods in those countries afford it greater
safety. In 1877-78
four living specimens were sent from there to Khartoum,
where they
died, and were not made use of in a scientific or any
other way.
692 WONDERS OF THE TROPICS.
The distribution of the parrot coincides with that of
the anthropoid
ape. The bird is to be seen all over Unyoro, flying about
in twos and
threes. It is a high, heavy flier, screams continuously
during its flight,
and is one of the earliest birds. Even before sunrise
it is heard screech-
ing; towards midday, however, it vanishes, in order to
take its midday
rest, and is seen again from four o'clock until the evening.
The numer-
ous sycamores provide it with necessary food. Possibly,
also, it feeds on
bananas ; at least some of the specimens I obtained ate
this food
readily, and preferred it to sugar-cane. The bird is
very common in
Uganda, and is sometimes kept in the huts, where, without
any instruc-
tion, it soon learns to speak. In Usoga, where the bird
is exceedingly
numerous, it is caught in small nets, and the red feathers
from its tail are
plucked out and used as ornaments. Care is, however,
taken that the
person performing this operation is unknown to the bird.
The feathers
are reproduced very slowly. Baboons of several species
are common in
the mountains. I have been told two or three times that
black parrots
are to be found ; but as their existence here has not
been proved, it is
probably a dark specimen of some other bird that has
been seen. Still,
it is perfectly true that many new discoveries remain
to be made here.
The King Sends an Escort.
At midnight the horns were blown — the drum serves only
as a war
signal — to assemble the porters ; yet at six in the
morning not ten
persons had turned up and when, after half an hour's
bargaining and
palaver, a few more Negiioes appeared, no one seemed
to know the road,
although Kabrega's capital could not have been more than
five or six
hours distant. I was therefore compelled to send two
men to Kabrega
to beg him to send me a guide, knowing all the while
that this ignorance
was a mere pretence. Fortunately, I had been able to
procure a sheep
and a f>iw fowls, as well as some sesame for my people
in exchange for a
few beads, so they at least did not starve. There were
several heavy
storms of rain again that day,
At last, on the 21st, we started. The horns had been blowing
for
hours, and my people had urged me to march. As, however,
I had
heard the beating of a big drum for about half an hour,
I concluded that
Kabrega was sending one of his chiefs to meet me ; and
so it turned out,
for soon after Makango (big chief) Bkamba appeared, accompanied
by a
drummer, a gun-boy, and some five or six other people,
to greet me and
to escort me at once to Kabrega. Everything was now arranged
like
magic, and off we marched, our luggage in advance. We
climbed up
through well-cultivated land, in which were many huts
then, turning
round by a large banana grove, we descended to a big
papyrus swamp, the
crossing of which, although it was only about two hundred
yards broad,
occupied a whole half-hour, because the water between
each single
thicket reached up to our necks and the roots caught
our feet like
nooses. Only one who has experienced such a passage can
form an
idea of its unpleasantness, especially when stinging
and prickly vossia-
grass abounds.
Neither Horns nor Humps.
When we at length found ourselves safely on the opposite
bank, the
porters, who were most wonderfully willing, went on before,
and we
passed through dense masses of grass with many mimosas,
which occa-
sion:.lly gave place to meadow-land, until we entered
a sort of defile
between two ranges of mountains, and marched on, up and
down hill.
In a banana grove, where fig-trees and phoenix palms
were growing, we
saw the fresh trails of two large hyenas. At length we
left the moun-
tainous defile, entering again into high grass and leeds,
and pausing at
last to rest by a small brook with clear bubbling water,
which flowed
over mica slabs and tasted strongly of iron Gray cows,
possessing
neither horns nor humps, stood in the water they destroy
the horns of
the cattle here as soon as they commence to grow, by
cauterizing them
with a red-hot iron, in order to enable them to pass
with greater ease
through the tall grass and the jungle). All the houses
lay at a distance
from the road. Probably in order to impress the stranger
with tl:e
immense size of the land, and therefore with the greatness
of its ruler, he
is led round about for days through the high grass, when
the direct
route would hardly occupy three marching hours. The country
is said
to be well peopled.
Soon after crossing the small stream we found ourselves
again between
rows of mountains, several summits of which may attain
an altitude of
from 1500 to 2,000 feet above the general elevation of
the country, which
is probably as much as 4,000 feet. Then followed cultivated
fields, with
many miniature votive huts, erected with the idea of
obtaining a good
harvest. Giant reeds came next, and at last the mountains
opened out,
and before us lay Kabrega's headquarters, Unyoro's capital.
The huts
which had been prepared for me lay to the left of the
road, upon a hill,
above which high mountains towered. The spot is about
ten minutes
distant from the great compound of huts which comprises
the king's resi-
dence, and which, with another compound lying near it,
forms the
village.
Our goods were hardly under shelter when the rain began
to pour
and the thunder to roll. Late in the evening Katagrua,
Kabrega's prime
minister, once a companion of Baker, came to visit me
and to bring me
his master's greetings. Kabrega had intended to receive
me immedi-
ately, but was prevented doing so on account of the rain.
For the same
reason it had been impossible for him to gather together
for me any kind
of present, and therefore he begged me to excuse it.
I simply remarked
that I was very much obliged to his sovereign, but that
I was not come
in order to receive presents. JVIakango Bkamba, whom
I had sent with
my greetings to the king, brought me the promise of an
audience
to-morrow.
The sun had hardly risen when Katagrua arrived, bringing
with him
the present he had yesterday led me to expect. Two fat
white oxen with
long horns, a package of fine white salt (from the Albert
Lake), three
packages of corn and two packages of meal of the same
kind of corn,
were laid before me, together with several jars of very
good banana wine,
accompanied by Kabrega's best greetings. After Katagrua
had gone, I
had hardly time, before my audience with Kabrega, to
prepare the pres-
ents which I had brought for him, and which far surpassed
anything that
he could previously have received. Exactly at midday
my guide, Kap-
tinps, appeared, this time dressed in presents from me,
and our proces-
sion started. It was headed by three Matongalis; then
followed my
guide, Kapempe, with all his people; then two porters
carrying the pres-
ents for Kabrega ; and I, in uniform, on horseback, attended
by my sol-
dier, brought up the rear.
The road was full of papyrus. We passed over a bridge
which had
been built in my honor, then again uphill, past two small
compounds, in
the shadow of which stood crowds of staring people. We
crossed an
open square, leaving to our right the king's cattle yard,
in which were
numerous houses for the Wahuma herdsmen. A circular building"
rose
before us, with lofty entrances in front and at the back,
the space before
which was roofed in. The floor of the building was clean
and strewn
with green papyrus-leaves ; in the middle of it sat Kabrega
upon a high
stool, surrounded by his office-bearers, crouching upon
the floor ; behind
the king stood about ten men and boys, armed with guns.
At his feet
crouched Manyara,. the interpreter, a man with a bird-like
face. My stool
was placed close to that occupied by the king, and we
surveyed each
other intently for several moments.
How the King Was Dressed.
This, then, was Kabrega, the cowardly, treacherous, beggarly
drunk-
ard described by Baker. The graceful folds of a piece
of fine salmon-
colored bark cloth covered his body up to the breast,
above which it was
perfectly bare, except the left shoulder, over which
was thrown, like a
plaid, a piece of darker-colored bark cloth. Two burnt
scars were visible
on the temples of his well-formed, smoothly shorn head,
these constitut-
ing the tribal mark of the Wanyoro ; his four lower incisor
teeth were
wanting, as is the case in all Wanyoro, and the upper
incisors projected
slightly, and were brilliantly white. (The lower incisors,
sometimes also
the canines, are always removed from girls and boys as
soon as they
arrive at puberty. They are forced out with a broad piece
of iron used
as a lever.) A necklace of hairs from a giraffe's tail,
upon the middle of
which was strung a single blue glass bead, encircled
his neck. A root
amulet and an iron bracelet were the only ornaments on
his strong mus-
cular arm ; his hands were small and well kept. He is
strikingly fair,
probably in consequence of his pure Wahuma blood. He
made, upon
the whole, a very favorable impression upon me, but there
was a decided
voluptuous expression on his face. His attendants, about
fifty in num-
ber, were clothed in skins and bark cloths, and amongst
them was his
brother, an ugly black fellow.
After presenting him with my credentials, to which I added
a few
words, a very lively conversation sprang up between us.
Kabrega
speaks the Soudan Arabic fluently. He requested me, however,
although I speak Kinyoro, to talk with him in Arabic,
and to permit my
words to be translated by his interpreter, " so that
his people tould
understand them." I next gave him the presents I had
brought with
me, and much enjoyed his pleasure in receiving them.
He paid especial
attention to a few pieces of scented soap. My soldier
had a small
revolver in his girdle ; Kabrega requested permission
to view it, and
comprehended at once its mechanism. He took it to pieces,
put it
together again, and then gave it back to me. He then
asked me to
inform him how I had enjoyed myself last year in Uganda,
and what I
had seen there, and he was highly amused with my description
of the
court ceremonials which obtain in that country. Threatening
rain
brought our conference tb an end before either wished
its conclusion.
He promised, however, that he would soon call me again
into his pres-
ence, and then took leave of me in a thoroughly dignified
manner.
A Merry Monarch.
I have often visited Kabrega subsequently, and cannot
say that I ever
heard him speak an improper word or make an indecent
gesture, or that
he was ever rude, excepting, perhaps, that he sometimes
spat on the
ground before him, one of his chiefs immediately wiping
up the saliva
with his hand from the grass mat. Might not a like official
find employ-
ment at European courts? Kabrega is cheerful, laughs
readily and
much, talks a great deal, and does not appear to care
to be bound by
ceremony — the exact opposite to Mtesa, the conceited
ruler of Uganda.
The next day I was again called to the king, whom I found
sur-
rounded by ten or twelve persons. Anyone who has seen
the strict
etiquette in Uganda could not help being greatly surprised
at the non-
chalance and informality of the Wanyoro, who lie about
the floor chew-
ing coffee in the king's presence in a perfectly unceremonious
manner.
We had a long interview, concerning which I would specially
note the
willingness with which His Majesty acceded to my requests,
and also his
account of what took place here during Baker's residence.
Kabrega
very readily consented to my proposition that some of
his people should
go with me, or rather be sent, to Khartoum, to pay a
visit to the
Governor-General, Gordon Pasha. My watch caused much
astonish-
ment, and I was requested to send him a loud-ticking
watch after my
return home. I certainly cannot charge Kabrega with begging
; on the
contrary, he sent me daily, in the most hospitable manner,
stores of corn
and meal, which, although they were only intended to
supply the wants
of one day, could easily have been made to last us for
a fortnight.
A Savage Who Could Forgive.
During my repeated visits Kabrega gave me the impression
of being a
thoroughly hospitable and intelligent man. Quite apart
from the rich
gifts of food, bark cloths, etc., a return for which
it was impossible for
me to make — he proved this in a very noteworthy manner
in connection
with an incident which might have brought me into a very
awkward
position. Notwithstanding my strict orders that no hostile
action should
be taken against Kabrega by the Egyptians during my visit
to Unyoro,
the soldiers in our nearest station, led by stupid, jealous
officers, made a
raid upon the country, and killed several of Kabrega's
people. Katagrua
was sent by the king to give me this information, and
to assure me at
the same time that, although this occurrence was highly
displeasing to him,
it should in no way affect our personal relations!
I paid a long and very interesting visit to Kabrega on
the 5th of Octo-
ber. The conversation turned upon a hundred various topics.
As the
sky was again overclouded, I withdrew after four hours'
chat, and had
hardly time to reach home before the storm broke over
us. Although I
suffered considerably during my fourteen days residence
here on account
of the torrents of rain which fell three or four times
daily — which state
of things, according to the report of the inhabitants,
will last till Novem-
ber — I have never in all my life experienced such an
uproar as this
storm. A deep darkness enveloped the land, now and then
streaked by
blue lightning, and, whipped by the raging south-east
wind, hail and
rain came beating down, the hailstones being as large
as horse-beans.
After continuing for half an hour, the hail gave place
to a true deluge of
rain, and until late in the night it still continued
raining steadily. All
our huts were full of water, and the next two days were
occupied in
repairing them.
I received visits daily from Kabrega's chiefs, amongst
whom Katagrua
and Melindua were two really pleasant, sensible men.
As regards the
former, I have pleasure in being able to confirm what
Baker said of him,
namely, that he was the only gentleman at Kabrega's court
; not once
did he request a single thing from me, and he received
with signs of the
greatest gratitude the little presents I was able to
make him. I am
indebted to both these men for much valuable information
concerning
the life and customs of Unyoro.
On the 30th of September I was just preparing to utilize
a pause in the
rain by taking a walk, when I was called to Kabrega,
whom I found sit-
ting on his divan enveloped in a bark-cloth of beautiful
pattern. People
from Karagwahad arrived, bringing with them arms and
ammunition, to
be exchanged for ivory and slaves, and Kabrega wished
to show his
white guest to them. I had taken with me Speke's book,
in order to
astonish the king ; and as I showed him his father, Kamrasi,
in it, as
well as other pictures, especially the one of the famous
dwarf Kimenya,
who died several years ago, the pleasure of those present
knew no
bounds. Two small men, but certainly not dwarfs, were
immediately led
before me, one of whom, a regular hump-back, formed a
subject for the
company's hilarity. Hump-backed people, it appears, are
not uncom-
mon here. The conversation turned to the subject of white
and colored
people ; and in order to prove that light-colored persons
also exist here,
a lanky young man was introduced to me, who was distinguished
by the
yellow ground-color of his skin. He was offered to me
as a present, but
was declined with thanks.
The production of white children (albinos) by black parents
is cer-
tainly not uncommon, but there is no question of their
having anything
to do with the marriage between blood relations, notwithstanding
Mtesa
believed this to be the cause. He probably heard such
an opinion from
Europeans. In this country brothers marry their sisters
without produc-
ing albinos. Albinos are supposed to bring with them
misfortune, and
aie therefore not considered to be of equal birth with
their brothers and
sisters. I had an opportunity subsequently in Uganda
of examining
carefully an albino girl. The presence of white people
in Uganda is
denied there, but still Albinos are found there ; and
I could only hear of
one white man who had tried to go to Ruhanda, but had
not succeeded
— probably Stanley.
As on the 8th of October Kabrega sent me supplies, I called
to thank
him, and was taken to his private house, where I, for
the first time, found
him clothed in Arab dress, and I chatted with him in
Arabic. The fat
women whom I saw on this occasion came up in all points
to the descrip-
tion of Speke and Grant, those reliable and conscientious
travellers, who
saw similar fat women in Karagwa. Such a custom as this
of fattening
up the king's wives says more than all else for the original
unity of these
countries, or at least goes to prove the same origin
of the rulers; the ruler
of Uganda is, notwithstanding his "pedigree," only an
usurper and parvenu.
As soon as the new moon becomes visible she is greeted
by the firing
of guns. Horns and flutes form a lively, if not very
harmonious, concert.
The musicians marching up and down, either upon their
heels or only
upon their toes, bending at the same time their bodies
backwards and
forwards. Kabrega himself is at this time occupied in
preparing his
magic powders, his amulets and talismans, and no doubt
also dabbles a
little in the art of divination, as is the custom with
all Wahuma chiefs
during the first few days of the new moon.
Perpendicular Mountain.
Early on the 9th of October, in celebration of the feast
of Ramadan-
Bairam, Kabrega sent me a present of an ox. As, for a
wonder, the
weather permitted me to get about, I climbed the towering
mountain
which was near our camp. A footpath, well worn by the
herds, leads up
to the highest peak, the base of which is hidden by grass
and reeds and
many mimosas. The soil here consists of reddish gray
vegetable mould,
under which there is a layer of brown humus two feet
thick, having
underneath it sharp-edged quartz fragments. The ascent
from here is
very difficult, in many places hardly possible except
by crawling. So
steep indeed, is the side of the mountain that only here
and there a tree
with willow-like leaves is able to take root. Short turf
covers the thin
layer of earth, which is bedded upon granite, except
in some places
where one finds quartz in small pieces. The higher one
climbs, the
scantier becomes the vegetation, until upon the summit
itself, which I
reached after three-quarters of an hour's climb, there
are only four or
five stunted trees amidst blocks of rock and structures
of ants.
Two Zanzibar merchants arrived here from Karagwa without
touching
Uganda ; both were freed slaves who wished to buy ivory
by order of
their masters ; it is abundant and pretty cheap. They
offered in ex-
change cloth, guns, powder, percussion-caps, copper and
brass. Near
midday, on the loth of October, a company of Waganda
also arrived in
order to trade. Their chief, Mbazi, an old acquaintance
of mine, sought
me out at once, and informed me that Mtesa had sent people
to Mruli to
fetch me from that place. Letters which I received on
the following day
from Mruli confirmed the arrival of one hundred and fifty
Waganda, but
as I was not there they returned to Uganda. At the same
time I
received English and Arabic letters from Mtesa inviting
me to come, but
" to bring no soldiers with me." I was told, too, that
some of my things,
which I intended to present to Kabrega, had been forwarded,
but they
had been taken from the porters by Kabrega's people.
I, of course,
claimed them back at once, upon which Kabrega sent me
word that I
need not trouble about them, for he himself was the aggrieved
party, and
would immediately take steps for their recovery.
Two days after, the messengers whom Kabrega had sent to
find them,
returned and laid the unopened bundle at my feet. According
to their
account, all the inhabitants of the village had fled
and deposited the
goods in the house of a neighboring chief, who had delivered
them up to
them. I sent at once to Kambrega to thank him, and, moreover,
to
request an audience, when I intended to ask for permission
to depart.
At this audience, which took place on the 15th, my official
business was
brought to an end to our mutual satisfaction, and I cannot
refrain from
again recording the friendly treatment extended to me
by Kabrega,
which was never disturbed by a single unfriendly word,
even up to the
last moment, so that I shall always remember with pleasure
the days I
spent here. His embassy to Gordon Pasha, composed of
Kasabe,
Baker's former guide, who had already been in Gondokoro,
and the
interpreter, Msige, were either to accompany or to follow
me. As a
parting gift, I presented Kabrega with a richly gilded
sabre, which very
much delighted him. I could therefore anticipate being
able to start
upon my return journey in a week, if no unforeseen delays
occurred.
Kabrega gave me his " dead " watch for me to get repaired
in Khar-
toum. He also requested me to send him an Arab clerk.
King's Taxes.
To judge by the sounds of the Uganda drureis, the Waganda
were
really received at court on the 19th of October, after
waiting nine days.
This seemed to be the day for paying tribute ; at least
the quantity of
packets and bales lying before Kabrega's divan, as well
as piles of new
bark cloth, and the number of people who had collected
together,
proved that a great reception was taking place. The king
sent some
loads of meal for our journey. Several days later I received,
in addi-
tion to this, six oxen ; they were the hornless kind,
having small humps.
On the 22d of October I was again called to Kabrega. He
was car-
rying on a lively conversation with a number of people,
amongst whom
I noticed the Waganda ; but when I arrived the whole
party was dis-
missed, and I was, in the first place, requested to show
him my revolver.
After he had examined it, he asked me to send him some
like it. A
very animated conversation followed upon the most varied
subjects, and
was prolonged until near evening, when pouring rain commenced,
and
compelled me to return home. My real business here was
at an end.
It was almost impossible to collect anything, for all
specimens, bird-
skins, etc., were spoilt on account of the indescribable
humidity. I was
therefore ready to march. I had my farewell audience
the next day,
and can state, with satisfaction, that the wish on both
sides to meet again
was very cordial. The people who were to go to Khartoum
were still
away setting their houses in order; the king informed
me that they
would overtake me at Mruli.
The porters who had been promised me for the next day,
of course,
did not appear, although Msige, who was to accompany
me, was early
on the spot.
A Worthless Governor.
To my great surprise I received letters from Magungo containing
very curious reports concerning the doings of Nur Bey,
the acting Gov-
ernor of the equatorial provinces — a worthless, mendacious
sneak. In
consequence of this I almost decided to go to Magungo,
but soon gave
up the idea, for, on account of the constant rain, the
distance would
have been too great for my people. Having received two
big elephant's
tusks as a parting gift from Kabrega, we began the return
march on the
25th of October, by the same road which had brought us
here. A vol-
ley of guns was fired from Kabrega's headquarters in
honor of the part-
ing guest. Owing to the persistent rain, all the grasses
had shot up
higher, the reed thickets had grown more impenetrable,
and thornsmore
troublesome. At the same time the water was knee-deep
in the holes
and puddles. After we had passed Khor Kabrogeta, the
water of which
is so strongly impregnated with iron that it is said
to distend the intes-
tines, we marched a little farther, and then suddenly
turned to the right
into a much-neglected banana grove, where it was suggested
that we
should pass the night. The people scattered immediately;
but when I
looked round for shelter I only found one broken-down,
abominably
filthy hut ; so I insisted on a further march, and although
an hour passed
before I got the people together, we left this inhospitable
Kikinda, con-
tinued our difficult march through water and bush for
more than an hour
and a half, and finally occupied at sunset some huts
in the village of
Blindi. In one of the huts. here a wooden triangle was
hanging, to which
were suspended a large number of small gourds filled
with pebbles ; this
was a rattle to accompany the dance.
No rain fell during the night, but in the early morning
all the sky was
grizzly gray, in spite of which we set out, keeping,
with few deviations,
to the road, along which we marched on our journey to
Kabrega's. The
winding Khor Kyal, although now roaring and full of water,
was twice
forded without difficulty ; but the great papyrus swamp
which followed
gave us a good deal of trouble on account of its entangled
roots. We
had hardly crossed the swamp, when the rain, till now
bearable, beat
down with such violence that we rushed forward at great
speed lor about
half an hour, when we reached KitongaH, somewhat below
the place
where we had previously passed the night.
Exciting Melee.
We sheltered in some huts, dried ourselves by a blazing
fire, and could
not think of continuing our journey until midday. An
unpleasant inci-
dent happened to me here, for I discovered that, unluckily,
I had lost
my note-book during the rain, and in spite of an energetic
search I was
not able to find it ; but after the rain was over, a
woman returned it to
me uninjured. Another occurrence took place shortly before
starting.
Msige wanted to take a jar full of lubias from a woman,
but she, taking
the joke ill, struck him over the head with the jar,
and wounded him
badly. A fearful disturbance arose, and at first they
wanted to kill the
woman; but finally, after my energetic protestations,
were satisfied with
carrying off a young ox, as well as bark cloths and skins,
from her hut.
The district here belongs to my acquaintance Melimbua,
who was not
likely to approve of this summary kind of justice. Msige's
head was
bandaged as well as possible, and then we resumed our
march. After
wading through much mud and water we got back to the
old road, and
reached Kimanya late in the afternoon. The huts we had
previously
occupied had been burnt down by the inhabitants, because
I, a white
man, had slept in them. Yet I received a friendly welcome
from
Vakumba, and was even able to procure a goat.
Kabrega had sent Matongali Matebere to look after my porters
and
my comfort, but he tqpk little trouble about these matters.
It was
already nine o'clock on the 27th of October, and not
a single porter was
to be seen. I therefore sent to him, but received neither
answer nor
porters. So I gave the order to start, and left him behind
with all my
traps, for which I held him responsible to his master;
he promised to
follow me soon. Passing by a magnificent sycamore, the
hanging roots
of which had grown into nine stems, we went on up and
down hill,
through tall grass, till we rested a while beside a pool
that had been
made for watering Kabrega's cattle.
This continual struggle with thorns and grasses had thoroughly
tired
us out, so we were very thankful soon after to reach
a few misci'able
huts, where we could take shelter from the torrents of
rain which began
to pour down upon us. Only the most useless of my loads
had yet
arrived, while my bedding and cooking apparatus remained
behind, so I
was obliged to go to bed supperless, while the leaky
hut, with its mos-
quitoes, and water pouring in on all sides, proved no
paradise, and I pre-
ferred sleeping on a bullock's hide in the open air.
But in the morning
it grew desperately cold, and when the sun rose we were
all ready to
start at once, although our things were only arriving
in driblets. This
place was called Btobe, and was inliabited by only one
family, consisting
of one man, eight women, two children, and a dog.
A short journey through tall grass brought us to Londu,
which we
left a little to one side, to halt half an hour's march
beyond it, in Kiji-
veka, where some good huts were at once placed at our
disposal, and
where we were given some sweet potatoes, which we relished
much
after our thirty-six hours' fast. The Madundi, who inhabit
this district,
are of a very dark color, and speak a language quite
different from that
of that of the Wanyoro. It strikes one particularly by
its humming
tones and jerky syllables. These people are said to have
drigin_illy come
from beyond the Albert Lake, and they still practice
circumcision.
Their houses differ from the hemispherical " bee-hives
" of Unyoro, in
the construction of their reed walls and high porches.
Some of the
children are swig-bellied, a result of irregular nourishment
— to-day a
great deal, to-morrow nothing. The women wear the pretty
striped
aprons of bark cloth noticed by Baker. All smoke pipes
with enor-
mously long reed stems.
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK IN
CHAPTER XXXI.
EMIN PASHA'S DESCRIPTION OF THE WANYORO.
BACK TO
INTRODUCTION
:: CONTENTS
William
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