220 MY FIRST INTERVIEW WITH M'TESSA. 
sallied forth with. Speke and some Seedees to make 
the call. It may be mentioned, as a curious custom 
of the court at Uganda, that when I told Speke that I 
meant to wear knickerbockers at the levee, he warned 
me that I should not be considered " dressed " if any 
portion of my bare leg was left exposed. This cos- 
tume, because my stockings were not long enough, 
had therefore to be abandoned for white trousers. In 
proceeding to the palace we had to make one short 
descent, cross a bog, with grass thrown over it to keep 
the feet from being soiled, and rise on a broad road to 
the top of a hill, on which several hundred houses 
were built, each surrounded with a screen of tall 
reeds. The outer gate, having iron bells behind it, 
was slid aside, and we entered under a cord strung 
with charms. Here was a wide oblong space, screened 
all round ; one steep-roofed house, beautifully thatched, 
was the only dwelling visible. Inside its wide thresh- 
old sat a single figure ; and on the open space in 
front a mob of bare-headed, well-dressed Africans sat, 
forming a crescent, and facing " His Majesty M'tessa." 
Our approach was abruptly stopped, and we were 
directed to halt. Some minutes elapsed, the court 
broke up, and the mass of people ran quickly through 
a wicket that had been opened. We followed, but 
the doorkeeper closed the gate, and ten minutes 
elapsed ere we were admitted. We next entered a 
similar place, but smaller, and stood in the sun, un- 
comfortable enough, till permitted to be seated on 
our stools, with our hats off and umbrellas up. 
M'tessa sat upon a bench of grass, with a dog behind 
him. His kamaraviona (commander-in-chief) was the 
only man allowed to sit at his feet; a sister and 
