THE " HAIRY ONE." 



193 



absconds, the males of his village are indiscriminately 

 slain and the women are sold — blood and tears must 

 flow for discipline. In money suits each party begins 

 by placing before the Mhozi a sum equivalent to the 

 disputed claim ; the object is to prevent an extensive 

 litigiousness. Suna used to fine by fives or tens, dozens 

 or scores, according to the offender's means ; thus from 

 a wealthy man he would take twenty male and twenty 

 female slaves, with a similar number of bulls and 

 cows, goats and kids, hens and even eggs. One of his 

 favourites, who used constantly to sit by him on guard, 

 matchlock in hand, was Isa bin Hosayn, a Baloch 

 mercenary of H. H. Sayyid Said of Zanzibar. He had 

 fled from his debtors, and had gradually wandered to 

 Uganda, where the favour of the sovereign procured 

 him wealth in ivory, and a harem containing from 200 

 to 300 women. " Mzagayya," — the hairy one, as he 

 was locally called, from his long locks and bushy beard 

 — was not permitted, nor probably did he desire, to 

 quit the country; after his patron's death he fled to 

 independent Unyoro, having probably raised up, as 

 these adventurers will, a host of enemies at Uganda. 



Suna greatly encouraged, by gifts and attention, the 

 Arab merchants to trade in his capital ; the distance has 

 hitherto prevented more than half-a-dozen caravans 

 travelling to Kibuga ; all however came away loudly 

 praising his courtesy and hospitality. To a poor trader 

 he has presented twenty slaves, and an equal number of 

 cows, without expecting any but the humblest return. 

 The following account of a visit paid to him in 1852, by 

 Snay bin Amir, may complete his account of the despot 

 Uganda. When the report of arrival was forwarded by 

 word of mouth to Suna, he issued orders for the erection 



VOL. II. o 



