THE WAGANDA 109 



These shields appear to be exclusively manufactured for the 

 European curio-hunter, for I have never seen a single one used 

 in warfare, though we had thousands of armed Waganda in the 

 Wakitosh and Wakilelowa expeditions. Such of our allies as 

 did carry shields preferred to use either the Usoga wicker-shield 

 or the Kavirondo one of bullock-hide. There can be little 

 doubt that the Uganda shield, from an artistic point of view, is 

 superior; and when new it makes a handsome wall-ornament. 



The kingdom of Uganda had already in King Mtesa's days 

 some form of constitutional government ; but as there was no 

 written language in existence to record legislative enactments, it 

 is obvious that an autocratic tyrant could easily over-ride any 

 restrictions placed on his authority. Death and mutilation were 

 punishments the king could inflict at pleasure. Human life 

 was of little account. 



When I was in charge of Kampala, Mwanga was king of 

 Uganda. One of the missionaries told me, that before the 

 British occupation of Uganda King Mwanga one day put to 

 death over twenty of his gate-keepers under the following 

 circumstances. A guest, leaving the royal enclosure on Mengo 

 hill, was pushed by one of the gate-keepers, and at once 

 returned and complained of it to the king who thereupon 

 ordered not only the particular gate-keeper, but all the gate- 

 keepers to be put to death. Mwanga had learnt his despotic 

 creed from his father. King Mtesa. 



Reading the story of Speke in my younger days, where he 

 intercedes with the king for the life of a woman, the picture 

 which represented the scene made a lasting impression on 

 me. King Mtesa gave a sort of picnic to Speke, and when his 

 favourite wife plucked some fruit and presumed to offer it to 

 her lord and master, the king ordered her to be put to death. 

 The king's executioners were a number of small boys who 

 wore a rope twisted round the head. At a sign from the 

 king they used this rope to strangle their victim. The unfor- 

 tunate woman called out for help, and Speke, horror-struck, 

 pleaded for her life. The king, amused that a white man should 

 care for a black woman's life, gave her on the spot a present 

 to him. 



Since then Mtesa has passed away, and all his blood- 

 thirsty brood of sons are gone ; but Mtesa's tomb still stands. 

 It is on the top of a hill about twenty minutes from Fort 



