592 BANTU NEGROES 



Nilotic Negroes is also evident in the Buruli country from the same cause 

 — proximity. It is, however, stated by Mr. George Wilson that the 

 language of the largeish country of Bugungu (usually, but incorrectly, 

 given on the maps as Magungu) is quite different from the Urunyoro speech. 

 The same statement is made by the missionaries, but no one has given 

 any examples of it as yet. From what the present writer can learn it 

 would seem to be a Bantu language of a very archaic form, closely allied 

 to the Lihuku of the Lower Semliki Valley near the south end of Lake 

 Albert. Magungu was once a rich and well-populated country, but it 

 was devastated and depopulated by the abominable Kabarega for no other 

 reason than that the Bagungu had assisted white men from the north to 

 enter Unyoro in the days of vSir Samuel Baker. 



The aristocracy among the Banyoro is locally known as the "bakama" 

 ("mukama"in the singular meaning a chief). These nobles are either of 

 pure or mixed Hima (that is to say. Gala) descent.* This aristocracy 

 during the last half-century has been a curse to the country, as its 

 members were perpetually fighting one with the other when they were 

 not aiding there supreme king, Kamurasi or Kabarega, to raid, ravish, 

 and destroy. In their internecine wars the Hima aristocracy must have 

 destroyed during the last fifty years a quarter of a million people 

 according to native accounts. 'When Kabarega grew more despotic in his 

 intentions, he reduced the power of these nobles by setting one prince 

 against another, or by calling in the Lango or Aclioli (Nilotic Negroes) 

 from the north to attack and reduce his too powerful vassals. These 

 Nilotic Negroes crossed the Victoria Nile at Kabarega's request and 

 massacred man, woman, and child, sparing none. Kabarega, for such 

 trifling reasons as hearing that his feudatories showed undue kindness to 

 Europeans, would also depopulate large stretches of country. All this 

 time Kabarega or his nobles with their undisciplined bands of young 

 warriors would raid the northern parts of Uganda. This brought about 

 return raids of the Baganda, whose massacres and atrocities were second 

 to none. On one occasion not many years ago the Baganda drove a 

 number of Banyoro refugees— about 600 — into some caves in the country 

 of Bugangaidzi, and then suffocated them by means of fires at the 

 entrance of the caves. On the whole, however, the survivors at the 

 present day who are sufficiently intelligent to review the past condition 

 of their country decide that their ex-king, Kabarega, had the doubtful 

 honour of exterminating a larger number of his own subjects by his own 

 massacres than was accomplished by any of his foreign foes or allies. 

 During the wars between Unyoro and Uganda which followed the first 



* It should be remarked here that the Bahima of Ankole are usually called 

 Bahuma or Bachwezi in Unyoro. 



