ition. His delight knew no
bounds on becoming the proprietor of such an extraordinary weapon, and
induced him to dwell on his advantages over his brother Rogero, whose
antipathy to him was ever preying on his mind. He urged me again
to devise some plan for overcoming him; and, becoming more and more
confidential, favoured me with the following narrative, by way of
evidence how the spirits were inclined to show all the world that he
was the rightful successor to the throne:--When Dagara died, and he,
Nnanaji, and Rogero, were the only three sons left in line of succession
to the crown, a small mystic drum of diminutive size was placed before
them by the officers of state. It was only feather weight in reality,
but, being loaded with charms, became so heavy to those who were not
entitled to the crown, that no one could lift it but the one person whom
the spirits were inclined towards as the rightful successor. Now, of all
the three brothers, he, Rumanika, alone could raise it from the ground;
and whilst his brothers laboured hard, in vain attempting to move it, he
with his little finger held it up without any exertion.

This little disclosure in the history of Karague led us on to further
particulars of Dagara's death and burial, when it transpired that the
old king's body, after the fashion of his predecessors, was sewn up in
a cow-skin, and placed in a boat floating on the lake, where it remained
for three days, until decomposition set in and maggots were engendered,
of which three were taken into the palace and given in charge to
the heir-elect; but instead of remaining as they were, one worm was
transformed into a lion, another into a leopard, and the third into a
stick. After this the body of the king was taken up and deposited on
the hill Moga-Namirinzi, where, instead of putting him underground, the
people erected a hut over him, and, thrusting in five maidens and fifty
cows, enclosed the doorway in such a manner that the whole of them
subsequently died from starvation.

This, as may naturally be supposed, led into further genealogical
disclosures of a similar nature, and I was told by Rumanika that his
grandfather was a most wonderful man; indeed, Karague was blessed with
more supernatural agencies than any other country. Rohinda the Sixth,
who was his grandfather, numbered so many years that people thought
he would never die; and he even became so concerned himself about it,
reflecting that his son Dagara would