252 SUPPOSED NEWS OF PETHERICK. hung the common implements of war, such as spears, of which two were of copper, the rest of iron, and shields of wood and leather; whilst behind, with great taste and effect, was arranged a sort of trophy of the various charms useful in discomfiting enemies. On a line with the king, again, and outside the square, were placed the arms of the household, a handsome French-made copper kettle-drum, with brass bells on the outer edge hanging from copper wires, two new spears, a painted leather shield, and various magic wands, spread on a carpet of leopard-skins. The whole pageant gave an impression of barbaric magnificence. The ceremony consisted in each commanding officer in turn giving account of the conduct of his regimental subalterns. To the worthy, the king, who listened attentively, awarded pombé; to the unworthy, death. After each sentence there was a hubbub, as the struggling wretch was bundled away, bound hands and head together. On the 11th of May, Speke had the satisfaction of receiving letters from Grant, having had at various times more or less authentic news of him. It was arranged that he should come by the lake, but his convoy had been afraid of the dangers of the voyage, and brought him by land, and he was now at the house of Maula. Three days afterwards the Unyoro deputation returned, attended by four men sent by Kamrasi, headed by one Kidgwiga. It now transpired that Mtésa had followed Speke's advice to try gentle means with Kamrasi, by sending a hongo instead of an army; and two elephant tusks were sent in return. Kidgwiga said that Petherick's party had not reached Unyoro, but were at anchor off Gani. Two white men had been seen there, the one hairy and the other smooth-faced; they had sent Kamrasi a necklace of beads, which he had duly acknowledged COLONEL CONGOW'S REGIMENT. 253 in tusks and women. Kamrasi offered to send Speke to them in boats, instead of by the dangerous route through the Kidi, which was only occasionally attempted by Wanyoro and Gani people, who dealt in cows and tippet monkey-skins, and who travelled at night, and avoided the natives as much as possible. Baraka and Ulédi, who had been sent on, were detained by Kamrasi, and not allowed to return with Mabruki and Bilal. Mabruki said that Kamrasi had received Speke's present, and then immediately ordered them to go back, remarking that the Waganda were a set of plundering blackguards. The king had by this time very much improved in his shooting, even killing birds on the wing, and at last, on the 25th of May, to his great delight he killed in a tree his first "nundo" or adjutant. The bird stuck like a spread eagle in the upper branches, and had to be brought down by Wasoga climbers. The scene of exultation which followed beggars description, and the bird was carried before the king to be shown to all the royal family. There had been for some days past a general muster of the Uganda army; and the warriors had streamed in vast numbers, like swarms of ants, from all quarters to the palace up the straight broad roads that led to it. By this time the Colonel Congow, in full-dress uniform, had arrived in the square outside, with his regiment drawn up in review order. The king, hearing of this, at once came out with spears and shield, preceded by his adjutant, and posted himself in arms at the entrance, encircled by his squatting staff, with the dead bird placed in the middle as the centre of attraction. In front was a large paradeground, with the Kamraviona's huts behind. The bat'talion, which consisted of three companies of 200 men each, being drawn up at the left extremity of the ground, received orders to march past in single file from the right of companies in a long trot, and re-form again at the end of the square. The scene which ensued was inconceivably wild and fantastic. The men were nearly all naked, with goat or cat skins hanging from their girdles, but wore war-paint according to individual taste. One half of the body was red or blue, the other black; but the colours were so distributed that one (painted) stocking would be red, the other black, while the breeches above would be of the opposite colours, and the sleeves and waistcoat were made to alternate in the same manner. This must somewhat have resembled the particular dress in vogue in the fourteenth century, such as the famous three Swiss are depicted in. Every man carried the same arms—two spears and a shield—held as if approaching an enemy; and they thus moved in three lines of single rank and file, at fifteen or twenty paces apart, with high action and long step, the ground leg only being bent to give greater force to the stride. The men were followed by the captain's men, more fantastically dressed; and last came the Colonel, looking like Robinson Crusoe, with his long white-haired goat-skins, a fiddle-shaped leather shield tufted with hair at its six extremities, and a magnificent helmet covered with rich many-coloured beads, surmounted by a plume of crimson feathers, from the middle of which rose a bent stem, tufted with goat's hair. The companies next charged to and fro, and finally the officers came up, pretending to charge the king, making violent professions of loyalty, and receiving from him the usual compliments of a reviewing officer. Two days after the review, to Speke's inexpressible delight, Grant arrived. He was now able to limp about a little, and they had a hearty laugh together over his adventures. When he left Rumanika's, his Waganda |