462 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



drought, or flood it with rain at will. Aware of the value of a 

 reputation as rain-maker, he was ambitious to add to it that of 

 "great medicine man," and he besought Stanley earnestly to 

 impart to him some of the grand secrets of Europe such as how 

 to transform men into lions and leopards, to cause the rains to 

 fall or cease, the winds to blow, to give fruitfulness to women 

 and virility to men. Demands of this character are frequently 

 made by African chiefs. When Stanley declared his in bility to 

 comply with his requests, he whispered to his chiefs : 



" He will not give me what I ask, because he is afraid that he 

 will not get the canoes ; but you will see when my men return 

 from Uganda he will give me all I ask. 



The custom of greeting this king is a most curious one, differ- 

 ing from any observed elsewhere in Africa. His people, after 

 advancing close to him, clap their hands and kneel' to him. If 

 the king is pleased, he reveals his pleasure by blowing and spit- 

 ting into their hands, with which they affect to anoint their faces 

 and eyes. They seem to believe that the king's saliva is a good 

 thing for the eyes. 



To each other the Wakerewe kneel, clap hands, and cry, 

 "Wache! wache !" " Wache sug!" " Mohoro !" "Eg sura?" 

 which, translated, signifies, "Morning! morning!" "Good 

 morning !" "A good day !" " Are you well?" 



The stories current in this country about the witchcraft prac- 

 ticed by the people of Ukara Island prove that those islanders 

 have been at pains to spread abroad a good reputation for them- 

 selves, and, aware that superstition is a weakness of human 

 nature, have sought to thrive upon it. 



One of the king's officers, named Khamis, upon oath declared 

 that a crocodile once lived in the house of a Ukara chief, which 

 fed from his hand, and was as docile and obedient as a dog, and 

 as intelligent as a man. Lukongeh had once a pretty woman in 

 his harem, who was coveted by the Ukara chief, but the latter 

 could devise no means to possess her, until he thought of his 

 crocodile. He immediately communicated his desire to the rep- 

 tile^ and bade him lie in wait in the rushes near Msossi until the 



