THE GREAT JOURNEY FROM SEA TO SEA. 309 



The appearance of Mtesa is described as follows: — "A more 

 theatrical sight I never saw. The king, a good-looking, well-formed 

 young man of twenty-five, was sitting upon a red blanket, spread 

 upon a square platform of royal grass, encased in tiger-grass reeds, 

 scrupulously dressed in a new 'mbugu (or grass-cloth). The hair 

 of his head was cut short, except upon the top, where it was combed 

 up into a high ridge, running from stem to stern, like a cock's comb. 

 On his neck was a very neat ornament— a large ring of beautifully- 

 worked small beads, forming elegant patterns by their various 

 colors. On one arm was another bead ornament, prettily devised, 

 and on the other a wooden charm, tied by a string covered with a 

 snake skin. On every finger and toe he had alternate brass and 

 copper rings, and above the ankles, half-way up the calf, a stocking 

 of very pretty beads. 



STRIKING DRESS AND APPEARANCE. 



"Everything was light, neat, and elegant in its way; not a 

 fault could be found with the taste of his 'getting-up.' For a hand- 

 kerchief, he had a well-folded piece of bark, and a piece of gold- 

 embroidered silk, which he constantly employed to hide his Targe 

 mouth when laughing, or to wipe it after a drink of plantain wine, 

 of which he took constant and copious draughts from little gourd 

 cups, administered by his ladies in waiting, who were at once his 

 sisters and his wives. A white dog, spear, shield, and woman— the 

 Uganda cognizance— were by his side, as also a host of staff officers, 

 with whom he kept up a brisk conversation, on one side, and on the 

 other was a band of 'Wichwezi,' or lady sorcerers." 



These women are indispensable appendages to the court, and 

 attend the king wherever he goes, their office being to avert the evil 

 eye f rom^ their monarch, and to pour the plantain wine into the royal 

 cups. They are distinguished by wearing dried lizards on their 

 heads, and on their belts are fastened goat-skin aprons, edo-ed with 

 little bells. 



Mtesa's palace is of enormous dimensions, and almost deserves 

 the name of a village or town. It occupies the whole side of a hill 

 and consists of streets of huts arranged as methodically as the 



