252 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



would thus be annexed to Egypt, and to not only free all the 

 slaves he could find, but also to break up the slave trade and give 

 peace and prosperity to the country. To all these reforms Kabba 

 Rega gave his assent and promised such aid as he could command. 



On the next day the king arranged to return the visit, and in 

 order to give the royal savage an impressive reception, the troops, 

 in bright uniforms, were arranged in line on either side of the 

 path by which the king would arrive. The sight of so many 

 soldiers, armed with guns and bayonets, so alarmed his majesty, 

 however, that he remained in his palace and sent excuses. 

 Annoyed by the delay, Baker ordered the trumpets sounded, 

 which so frightened the king and his courtiers that they construed 

 it into an immediate summons. 



In a few minutes a great din of horns, drums and whistles 

 announced his approach, and he was observed walking down the 

 road with an extraordinary gait. He was taking enormous 

 strides, as though caricaturing the walk of a giraffe. This was 



O O <-J 



supposed to be an imitation of Mtesa, the king of Uganda, who, 

 in his younger days, attempted to walk like a lion. 



Kabba Rega thus stalked along, followed by his great chiefs, 

 Kittakara, Matonse, Rahonka, Quonga, and a number of others. 

 Upon arrival opposite the band, the bugles and drums suddenly 

 commenced with such a clash of cymbals that he seemed rather 

 startled, and entered the tent in the most undignified manner, 

 with an air of extreme shyness, half-concealed by audacity. He 

 was trembling with nervous anxiety, and with some hesitation 

 took his seat upon the divan that had been prepared for him. 

 His principal chiefs sat upon skins and carpets arranged upon 

 the ground. 



A crowd of about two thousand people had accompanied him, 

 making a terrific noise with whistles, horns and drums. These 

 were now silenced, and the troops formed a guard around the 

 tent to keep the rnob at a respectful distance. Every now and 

 then several men of Kabba Rega's body-guard rushed into the 

 crowd and laid about them with bludgeons five feet long, hitting 

 to the right and left. This always chased the crowd away for a 



