Lake Chohoa and the Ruanda 



It is well known that Msinga's mother has a great deal 

 to do with all matters connected with the upholding of the 

 reigning dynasty ; she is and always has been the " political 

 wire-puller," no important step being taken without her 

 advice. We were therefore interested and pleased to know 

 that Lieutenant Defawe in conjunction with Msinga had 

 arranged for us to make her acquaintance, together with 

 Msinga's principal wives. Now, it will be found on reading 

 books of travel by authors who have visited Niansa that 

 none of them has even so much as seen a Watusi woman, 

 let alone the Svdtan's mother and harem ; we were therefore 

 accorded a privilege which has been extended to very few. 

 The fact that these ladies had previously seen only one other 

 white woman in all their lives, no doubt acted as an induce- 

 ment to the breaking of their rule of seclusion. 



On the day arranged for the visit, Major van den Eede 

 (the Resident of Ruanda), Lieutenant Defawe, my wife and 

 myself proceeded to the Sultan's enclosure, a maze of palisaded 

 houses and compounds, through which we were guided to 

 the bematted seraglio. These women practically confine 

 themselves to dark and windowless houses, the one in which 

 we found the mother and Sultanas being no exception, for 

 it was darkened not only by smoke but with curiously-shaped 

 mats directly across the entrance. After a few minutes, 

 and when our eyes became accustomed to the dim light, 

 we were able to make out the tall forms of five women squatting 

 on chairs, who greeted us pleasantly with smiles and hand- 

 shakes. The mother struck one as being exceptionally tall 

 and graceful although elderly; her height was enhanced 

 by a bead tiara, having two slender horns standing up on 

 either side of the head, perhaps ten to twelve inches in length ; 



43 



