228 



KING KIMWERE. 



family amounts to between 80 and 90 sons, some 

 of whom have Islamized, whilst their sire re- 

 mains a most ' pragmatical pagan.' The Lion's 

 person is sacred, — even a runaway slave saves life 

 by touching the hem of his garment. Presently 

 he will become a ghost, it will be wrapped up in 

 matting, and placed sitting - wise under the 

 deserted hut, a stick denoting the actual spot : 

 dogs will be slaughtered for the funeral-feast, the 

 people will cry, beat drums, and say, ' Lord, 

 why must we die ? ' and Muigni Khatib, reigning 

 instead of his sire, will put to death all who 

 dare, during the first two months of Matanga 

 (mourning), to travel upon the King's highway. 



Meanwhile Sultan Kimwere rules at home 

 like a right kingly African king, by selling his 

 subjects, men, women, and children, old and 

 young, gentle and simple, singly or, when need 

 lays down the law, by families and by villages. 

 Death, imprisonment, and mutilation of the hand 

 are foreign articles of state machinery and rare ; 

 sale of the person and confiscation of property are 

 indigenous and common. None may hold pro- 

 perty without this petty despot's permission, and, 

 as we had an opportunity of seeing, the very 

 ' ministers ' dare not openly receive presents. In 

 a realm where coin is not current revenue is thus 



