queen, and
the Kamraviona; and to-day, on calling on the king, I found him engaged
having these faggots removed by Colonel Mkavia's regiment from one court
into another, this being his way of ascertaining their quantity, instead
of counting them. About 1600 men were engaged on this service, when
the king, standing on a carpet in front of the middle hut of the first
court, with two spears in his hand and his dog by his side, surrounded
by his brothers and a large staff of officers, gave orders for the
regiment to run to and fro in column, that he might see them well; then
turning to his staff, ordered them to run up and down the regiment, and
see what they thought of it. This ridiculous order set them all flying,
and soon they returned, charging at the king with their sticks, dancing
and jabbering that their numbers were many, he was the greatest king on
earth, and their lives and services were his for ever. The regiment
now received orders to put down their faggots, and, taking up their own
sticks in imitation of spears, followed the antics of their officers
in charging and vociferating. Next, Mkavia presented five hairy Usoga
goats, n'yanzigging and performing the other appropriate ceremonies. On
asking the king if he had any knowledge of the extent of his army, he
merely said, "How can I, when these you see are a portion of them just
ordered here to carry wood?"

The regiment was now dismissed; but the officers were invited to follow
the king into another court, when he complimented them on assembling so
many men; they, instead of leaving well alone, foolishly replied they
were sorry they were not more numerous, as some of the men lived so far
away they shirked the summons; Maula, then, ever forward in mischief,
put a cap on it by saying, if he could only impress upon the Waganda to
listen to his orders, there would never be a deficiency. Upon which
the king said, "If they fail to obey you, they disobey me; for I have
appointed you as my orderly, and thereby you personify the orders of the
king." Up jumped Maula in a moment as soon as these words were uttered,
charging with his stick, then floundering and n'yanzigging as if he had
been signally rewarded. I expected some piece of cruel mischief to come
of all this, but the king, in his usual capricious way, suddenly rising,
walked off to a third court, followed only by a select few.

Here, turning to me, he said, "Bana, I love you, because you have come
so far to see