596 BANTU NEGROES 



ojiposite. A story told by the old men, and in their songs, says that in Ndaula's 

 reign a few Bakedi crossed the Nile, raided the cattle, and were practically unmolested 

 until Ndaula's brother Kagora, a mighty man in A^ar and in hunting, rallied the 

 people together and attacked the Bakedi raiders, killing all but two, a man and a 

 woman. These, by some sort of stratagem, recovered a lot of the cattle and took 

 them into the forest, where they resisted all efforts to dislodge them. The people 

 in the vicinity were exasperated by linding that every day their salted water pans 

 (for cattle) were destroyed. So Kagora took the matter in hand, and caught and killed 

 the Bukedi man. The woman, pregnant at the time, on seeing this, struck Kagora 

 in the stomach with a stick, cursed him, foretelling that he should never have 

 issue. A mark peculiar to females appeared on his forehead, and being thus shamed 

 before men, he resolved to leave the earth, and disappeared heavenwards. From that 

 day lightning is regarded as the symbol of his wrath. The woman went into the 

 Budonga forest, where she gave birth to so many devils that the country became 

 noxious to the Bachwezi. Other signs of ill-fortune appeared, so, rendered desperate, 

 they appealed to their oracle — in which ceremony fate was read in the entrails of 

 a cow. On this occasion they could find no stomach. A Bukedi medicine man 

 (who happened to be a friend of young Lukedi) visited the Bachwezi. He was 

 appealed to. He cut open the head of the slaughtered cow, in which he found the 

 missing stomach, told the people that its presence there signified loads on the head, 

 and indicated the necessity of the Bachwezi packing up and moving elsewhere. 

 This appealed to the Bachwezi, now tired with supernatural persecutions, but on 

 leaving they suspected the Bukedi man's motives, and made ready to kill him. He 

 was warned, and fled to an adjacent hill, saw the caravan file off, and at once went 

 to tell Lukedi there was a country without rulers, and which waited only a strong 

 man's effort to secure it.* By this time Lukedi was made aware of his parentage. 

 He crossed over to Chiope ostensibly to hunt, went across the country, and 

 appeared at the usual mukama's settlem.ent, and found that the Basita, as the 

 aboriginal race was called, excepting only the women, were all away hunting, that 

 being a time of exceptional famine. In the principal house was a woman who had 

 just given birth, and was seriously sick. Lukedi cured the invalid and won the 

 women over, and by a trick secured the royal drum, which was in their keeping 

 amongst others, and on the return of the men assumed such an attitude, helped by 

 the possession of the drum, that they at once accepted him. 



Thus Lukedi became king. His house is called after the name of the tree 

 supposed by many to have been the author of his being, and is known as Babito. 



From him springs the present race of Bakama (" big chiefs "), who have come 

 down in direct line as follows ; — 



1. Lukedi. 



2. Olimi. 



3. Sansa. 



4. Luhaga I. 



* The Bachwezi went through Bugoma to the Albert Lake. The lake opened 

 up whilst they passed southwards with all their cattle along the dry bed, the lake 

 closing up behind them. They then went to Bwera, where they became the dominant 

 race. Some followers of the Bachwezi were late, and found the lake had closed 

 up again. These returned, and were the ancestors of the Unyoro Bahuma (or 

 Bahima). All evidence points to Isimbwa, the ancestor of two lines of Unyoro kings, 

 having been a Muhima from Ankole. 



