BEAUTIFUL UGANDA 131 



"The better for the honor you have done me," is the ceremonious 

 reply. 



"The honor is mine and I shall treasure it." 



By this time they have passed each other, and their expressions 

 of polite good-will die away as they go on. Of course the dialogue 

 may be greatly varied, but the above will suffice for an example. 



Happiness is easily conferred on a Baganda. Simply say to a 

 native, ''Way wally" ("splendidly well done"), likely enough he will 

 fall upon his knees, clasp his hands together and sway them from 

 side to side, while his face beams with the gladdest of smiles, and he 

 purrs forth his delight as if to say, "You have filled to overflowing 

 my cup of joy." 



Yet we must not take this as indicating servility. It is simply 

 the Baganda idea of good manners. The people are not wanting in 

 self-respect, and while yielding to the constituted authorities, do so 

 without loss of dignity. Yet it adds an idea of a new type to our con- 

 ceptions of the native African to find a nation of blacks with exagger- 

 ated forms of greeting similar to those prevailing in China and Japan. 



And they do not end with verbal signs of good-will, but are 

 kindly in nature and extremely hospitable. Sir Harry Johnstone tells 

 us that when he traversed their kingdom, he would be met by hun- 

 dreds of people, sent by the local chiefs, and each bearing a bunch of 

 bananas. In some instances cows, goats or sheep would be sent. They 

 would go so far as to send spies into his camp to find out his tastes. 

 In this way they learned that he was very fond of tea between five 

 and six o'clock in the afternoon. Then, judging from his time of 

 starting what point he would reach at this hour, a resting place would 

 be prepared near the road, a table set, and a clean cloth spread on it. 

 At the proper time the kettle would be set boiling, and when he ap- 

 peared near by the tea would be poured out and handed to him in a 

 shady arbor. 



In his opinion the Bahima — the aristocracy of Western Uganda 

 — may be descended from the people of ancient Egypt or bear some 

 affinity to them. Though black in complexion and with negro hair, 

 their profile is of the Caucasian type, and the indication is that a people 

 of Hamitic race gradually made their way southward, infused their 



