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John Hanning Speke - The Discovery of the Source of the Nile
gracious favour the king has shown in accepting it.
When tired of business, the king rises, spear in hand, and, leading his dog, walked off without word or
comment leaving his company, like dogs, to take care of themselves.
Strict as the discipline of the exterior court is, that of the interior is not less severe. The pages all wear
turbans of cord made from aloe fibres. Should a wife commit any trifling indiscretion, either by word or
deed, she is condemned to execution on the spot, bound by the pages and dragged out. Notwithstanding
the stringent laws for the preservation of decorum by all male attendants, stark-naked full-grown women
are the valets.
On the first appearance of the new moon every month, the king shuts himself up, contemplating and
arranging his magic horns - the horns of wild animals stuffed with charm-powder - for two or three days.
These may be counted his Sundays or church festivals, which he dedicates to devotion. On other days he
takes his women, some hundreds, to bathe or sport in ponds; or, when tired of that, takes long walks, his
women running after him, when all the musicians fall in, take precedence of the party, followed by the
Wakungu and pages, with the king in the centre of the procession, separating the male company from the
fair sex. On these excursions no common man dare look upon the royal procession. Should anybody by
chance happen to be seen, he is at once hunted down by the pages, robbed of everything he possessed,
and may count himself very lucky if nothing worse happens. Pilgrimages are not uncommon, and
sometimes the king spends a fortnight yachting; but whatever he does, or wherever he goes, the same
ceremonies prevail - his musicians, Wakungu, pages, and the wives take part in all.
But the greatest of all ceremonies takes place at the time of the coronation. The prince-elect then first
seeks favour from the kings of all the surrounding countries, demanding in his might and power one of
each of their daughters in marriage, or else recognition in some other way, when the Ilmas makes a
pilgrimage to the deceased king's tomb, to observe, by the growth an other signs of certain trees, and
plants, what destiny awaits the king. According to the prognostics, they report that he will either have to
live a life of peace, or after coronation take the field at the head of an army to fight either east, west, or
both ways, when usually the first march is on Kittara, and the second on Usoga. The Mgussa's voice is
also heard, but in what manner I do not know, as all communication on state matters is forbidden in
Uganda. These preliminaries being arranged, the actual coronation takes place, when the king ceases to
hold any farther communion with his mother. The brothers are burnt to death, and the king, we shall
suppose, takes the field at the head of his army.
It is as the result of these expeditions that one-half Usogo and the remaining half of Uddu have been
annexed to Uganda.
Chapter X. Karague and Uganda
Escape from Protectors - Cross the Kitangule, the First Affluent of the Nile - Enter Uddu - Uganda - A
Rich Country - Driving away the Devil - A Conflict in the Camp - A Pretending Prince - Three Pages
with a Diplomatic Message from the King of Uganda - Crime in Uganda.
Crossing back over the Weranhanje spur, I put up with the Arabs at Kufro. Here, for the first time in this
part of the world, I found good English peas growing. Next day (11th), crossing over a succession of
forks, supporters to the main spur, we encamped at Luandalo. Here we were overtaken by Rozaro, who
had remained behind, as I now found, to collect a large number of Wanyambo, whom he called his
children, to share with him the gratuitous living these creatures always look out for on a march of this
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