108 



THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



King Kamrasi's sisters are not allowed to wed ; they live and die 

 virgins in his palace. Their only occupation in life consists in 

 drinking milk, of which each one consumes the produce daily of 

 from ten to twenty cows, and hence they become so inordinately 

 fat that they cannot walk. Should they wish to see a relative, 

 or go outside the hut for any purpose, it requires eight men to 

 lift any one of them on a litter. The brothers, too, are not al- 

 lowed to go out of his reach. This confinement of the palace 

 family is considered a state necessity, as a preventive to civil 



KAMRASI ON HIS THRONE. 



wars, in the same way as the destruction of the Uganda princes, 

 after a certain season, is thought necessary for the preservation 

 of peace there. 



On one occasion, when Speke went to visit Kamrasi , the latter 

 became quite communicative, and informed his guest that he was 

 sadly afflicted with a disorder which no one but the white man 

 could cure. " What is it, your majesty?" said Speke ; "I can 

 see nothing in your face; it may, perhaps, require a private 



