onel
Congow, in his full-dress uniform, had arrived in the square outside,
with his regiment drawn up in review order. The king, hearing the
announcement, at once came out with spears and shield, preceded by the
bird, and took post, standing armed, by the entrance, encircled by his
staff, all squatting, when the adjutant was placed in the middle of the
company. Before us was a large open square, with the huts of the queen's
Kamraviona or commander-in-chief beyond. The battalion, consisting of
what might be termed three companies, each containing 200 men, being
drawn up on the left extremity of the parade-ground, received orders to
march past in single file from the right of companies, at a long trot,
and re-form again at the other end of the square.

Nothing conceivable could be more wild or fantastic than the sight which
ensued--the men all nearly naked, with goat or cat skins depending from
their girdles, and smeared with war colours according to the taste of
each individual; one-half of the body red or black, the other blue, not
in regular order--as, for instance, one stocking would be red, the other
black, whilst the breeches above would be the opposite colours, and so
with the sleeves and waistcoat. Every man carried the same arms--two
spears and one shield--held as if approaching an enemy, and they thus
moved in three lines of single rank and file, at fifteen to twenty paces
asunder, with the same high action and elongated step, the ground leg
only being bent, to give their strides the greater force. After the
men had all started, the captains of companies followed, even more
fantastically dressed; and last of all came the great Colonel Congow,
a perfect Robinson Crusoe, with his long white-haired goat-skins,
a fiddle-shaped leather shield, tufted with white hair at all six
extremities, bands of long hair tied below the knees, and a magnificent
helmet, covered with rich beads of every colour, in excellent taste,
surmounted with a plume of crimson feathers, from the centre of which
rose a bent stem, tufted with goat-hair. Next they charged in companies
to and fro; and, finally, the senior officers came charging at their
king, making violent professions of faith and honesty, for which they
were applauded. The parade then broke up, and all went home.

26th.--One of king Mtesa's officers now consenting to go to N'yama Goma
with some of my men, I sent Grant a quarter of goat. The reply brought
to me was, that he was v