112 THE KINGDOM OF UGANDA 



fowls uttering a joyous cackle, unconscious of tlieir coming doom, and 

 paniers containing, it may be, hundreds of eggi^. are being carried by other 

 smiling folk, ^yhile small boys drive up recalcitrant sheep and goats. If 

 vou are a very big man, or the chief you are visiting is a very important 

 person, it is as likely as not that a bullock or even a milch cow — four 

 bullocks, four milch cows — may be added to this great gift of food. It is 

 certain that if the chief has any cows and you are a European known to 

 favour tea in preference to whisky, there will be gourds and baskets of 

 fresh milk. 1 use the word " basket " advisedly, for the Baganda can 

 weave basketwork so finely tliat they can in this way construct pottles to 

 contain milk. The milk may also be brought in earthern pots or jars ; 

 in which case, although perfectly sweet, it will have a slightly smoky taste, 

 owing to the manner in which the pot is cleaned from the remains of sour 

 milk. Three or four headmen of extremely clean appearance, tlieir eyes 

 dancing with friendliness and their tongues uttering rapid salutations, will 

 accompany this army of food-bearers. They will arrange the offerings in 

 an orderly semi-circle, ])lacing the more precious things before the door of 

 your house or tent. After mentioning the name of the donor, they will 

 salute and retire, having jiroliably inquired what time it will be convenient 

 to vou to receive their chief. I never in all my travels in Africa encountered 

 a people of more delightful native politeness and tact than the Baganda. 

 Other natives and native chiefs quite as friendly will call upon you at 

 the wrong time, bore you with questions, and rob much of their hospitality 

 of its value by this waste of time and added weariness. It has never been 

 so in all my experience with the Baganda. 



If, after such a present of food, you are not a perfect brute (and perfect 

 brutes are rather commoner among white men than black), v'ou will not 

 only give the chief an opportunity of calling on you, but will probably 

 invite him to take tea or luncheon or dinner with you. He will arrive 

 with a large suite, who. after salutations, will retire and leave him to your 

 society ; he will come clad in snowy white, with possibly a European coat 

 or jacket over his long shirt, and his feet will be encased in handsome 

 sandals of thick decorated leather, with bands of otter-fur. He will eat 

 and drink with you with manners that offer no scope for fastidious criticism. 

 During the meal, if you are able to talk with him in Swahili or Luganda, 

 he will give you no end of interesting information, but he will be always 

 on the alert to take his departure at the least sus[iicion of weariness on the 

 part of his entertainer. 



When you go to pay him a return visit there will be the usual running 

 to and fro of messengers, and you will arrive at an opening in one of 

 those mile-long, lofty fences of plaited reeds to which reference has 

 already been made. Going through this doorway, which may be masked 



