CHAPTER VIII. 
KARAGUE, NOVEMBER 25 TO APRIL 14, 1862 — THE ROYAL FAMILY 
— HABITS OF THE SULTAN RUMANIKA — CRUSADER -LIKE 
CUSTOM AT NEW MOON — IDOLATRY — THE SULTAN'S BROTHERS 
— DESCRIPTION OF KARAGUE AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD — 
ILLNESS OF THE AUTHOR — ENGLISH GARDEN PEASE — MAR- 
KETS, COFFEE-TRADERS — EARLIEST INFORMATION REGARDING 
THE NILE — THE TWO RACES OF KARAGUE, THE WAHUMA AND 
WAYAMBO — THE PRINCESSES — ROYAL RESIDENCE — MUSICAL 
INSTRUMENTS. 
The royal family of Karague consisted of three bro- 
thers and their families. Their father, Dagara, had 
died about eight years previous to our visit. He had 
lived to a good old age ; was almost a giant in height, 
with leprous hands, of the Wahuma caste ; was esteemed 
a wise and sagacious prince, and was very popular with 
the people. On his death, his body was sewn up in 
the skin of a cow, and placed inside a hut, with several 
women and cattle, who were there all left to die and 
moulder to dust. The question of succession was dis- 
puted by three surviving sons, and the test as to who 
should ultimately rule was that some sacred emblem 
would be placed before all, and whoever should raise it 
from the ground would become the reigning sovereign. 
