176 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



One of my duties was to visit the other forts. Fort Hoima 

 stood first on the Hst. It was the principal station in Unyoro 

 prior to the transfer of head-quarters to Masindi. It is not 

 surrounded by a trench, but has simply a stockade. A good 

 many of the poles have sprouted, and a green leafy belt now 

 encircles the fort. When I first saw it, it was garrisoned by 

 friendly Waganda. Subsequently I received instructions to 

 bring Soudanese from Mahaji, relieve the Waganda, and give 

 them permission to return to Uganda. 



The sub-chief in charge of the Waganda garrison insisted, 

 however, on my giving him this permission in writing. Many 

 of the natives have a great faith in anything written. Once in 

 Usoga a chief visited me ; as a sort of introduction he pulled 

 out a piece of paper carefully wrapped up in a clean cloth and 

 presented it. On it was written that the said chief had been 

 imprisoned for a while, but by the clemency of the Government 

 had been permitted to return to his chieftainship. 



At Hoima there is a Makraka settlement. They belong to 

 a cannibal tribe. So convinced are the Soudanese that these 

 settlers still have a predilection for human flesh, especially for 

 tender children, that they do not allow their offspring to 

 wander near the village of these supposed ogres. The chief of 

 the settlement is a handy blacksmith. He wears a lot of iron 

 ornaments. He is particularly proud of his beard, because the 

 Soudanese, Lendu, Wanyoro, and Waganda who live around 

 him never can grow either beard or moustache. He carefully 

 plaits his beard and lubricates it with grease. He wears a cloth 

 apron ; but all his wives are very conservative, and still adhere 

 to Eve's first raiment of leaves. As the hg-tree in this region is 

 rather difficult to climb, the Makraka ladies find it easier to 

 clothe themselves with the first handful of grass or leaves they 

 meet with, as long as the leaves are not prickly and do not sting. 

 Most of these women WTar ornaments, ear-rings, bracelets, and 

 necklaces, either of beads or of iron-wire ; they plait their wool, 

 which is somewhat longer than what the Wanyoro or Waganda 

 grow. The huts are perfectly defenceless. The community 

 lives by agriculture, chiefly maize, kaffre-corn, sweet-potatoes, 

 and beans. The locusts provide their otherwise vegetarian diet 

 with an occasional change. As soon as ever a swarm visits them, 

 old and young are busy collecting locusts which can be stored 

 for a considerable length of time if previously dried in the sun. 



