overlooking the Kitangule.
Seating them both on our chairs, which amused them intensely, I asked
Rumanika, although I had heard before the whole facts of the case, what
motives now induced him to wish the committal of such a terrible act,
and brought out the whole story afresh.

Before their old father Dagara died, he had unwittingly said to the
mother of Rogero, although he was the youngest born, what a fine king
he would make; and the mother, in consequence, tutored her son to expect
the command of the country, although the law of the land in the royal
family is the primogeniture system, extending, however, only to those
sons who are born after the accession of the king to the throne.

As soon, therefore, as Dagara died, leaving the three sons alluded to,
all by different mothers, a contest took place with the brothers, which,
as Nnanaji held by Rumanika, ended in the two elder driving Rogero away.
It happened, however, that half the men of the country, either from fear
or love, attached themselves to Rogero. Feeling his power, he raised
an army and attempted to fight for the crown, which it is generally
admitted would have succeeded, had not Musa, with unparalleled
magnanimity, employed all the ivory merchandise at his command to
engage the services of all the Arabs' slaves residing at Kufro, to bring
muskets against him. Rogero was thus frightened away; but he went away
swearing that he would carry out his intentions at some future date,
when the Arabs had withdrawn from the country.

Magic charms, of course, we had none; but the king would not believe it,
and, to wheedle some out of us, said they would not kill their brother
even if they caught him--for fratricide was considered an unnatural
crime in their country--but they would merely gouge out his eyes and set
him at large again; for without the power of sight he could do them no
harm.

I then recommended, as the best advice I could give him for the time
being, to take some strong measures against Suwarora and the system of
taxation carried on in Usui. These would have the effect of bringing men
with superior knowledge into the country--for it was only through the
power of knowledge that good government could be obtained. Suwarora
at present stopped eight-tenths of the ivory-merchants who might be
inclined to trade here from coming into the country, by the foolish
system of excessive taxation he had established. Next I told him, if he
would give me one or t