174 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



THE NORTHERN KINGDOMS : KARAGWAH, UGANDA, 

 AND UNYORO. 



The extensive and hitherto unknown countries de- 

 scribed in this chapter, being compact despotisms, re- 

 sembling those of Ashanti and Dahomey more than the 

 semi-monarchies of Unyamwezi and Urundi, or the 

 barbarous republics of Uvinza and Ujiji, are designated 

 the Northern Kingdoms. It is regrettable that oral 

 information, and not the results of actual investigation, 

 are offered to the reader concerning regions so interest- 

 ing as the Southern Tanganyika, the Northern King- 

 doms, and the provinces south of Unyanyembe. But 

 absolute obstacles having interfered, it was judged 

 advisable to use the labours of others rather than to 

 omit all notice of a subject which has the importance 

 of novelty, because it lacked the advantages of a regular 

 exploration. 



Informants agree in representing the northern races 

 as superior in civilisation and social constitution to the 

 other tribes of Eastern and Central Africa. Like the 

 subjects of the Kazembe, they have built extensive and 

 regular settlements, and they reverence even to worship 

 a single despot, who rules with a rigour which in Europe 

 would be called barbarity. Having thrown off the rude 

 equality of their neighbours, they recognise ranks in 

 society ; there is order amongst men, and some idea of 

 honour in women ; they add to commerce credit, with- 

 out which commerce can hardly exist ; and they hospi- 

 tably entertain strangers and guests. These accounts 

 are confirmed by the specimens of male and female 

 slaves from Karagwah and Uganda seen at Unyan- 



