of Edinburgh , Session 1885 - 86 . 
737 
vent the enemy seeing them, and sentries are placed round the camp. 
Commands are given both by word of mouth, drums, and whistles, 
and disobedience to orders is severely punished. Each chief 
commands his own men, hut a commander-in-chief, aided by a 
council, directs all the operations. When the army approaches the 
enemy they do not commence to fight at once, hut perform a war 
dance and curse their enemies in no very polite language, for some 
considerable time. They then begin to throw their spears, but 
soon, warming to the fray, yelling and shouting,, they rush to a 
hand-to-hand conflict to the beat of their noisy war drums. The 
drum takes very much the place of a regimental flag ; round it the 
detachments assemble, and its loss in battle is considered a fearful 
disgrace. In going from Rubaga to Mruli, I passed a battlefield 
in which the Waganda had been beaten, and grouped around the 
war drum I saw the bodies of more than 300 Waganda, so fiercely 
had they defended their standard. They are extremely brave, and 
have no fear of death. Their fights are often very sanguinary, and 
they frequently lose 30 to 40 per cent, of their men. The feats of 
noted warriors are celebrated in their war-songs and traditions, and 
warlike achievements are rewarded by an extra share of the spoil 
or by a rise in rank. After a battle in the open their wounded 
opponents are not butchered in cold blood, but are left to take care 
of themselves as best they may; but should a village be sacked, it is 
the usual custom to put all the adult males to death. The dead 
are not buried unless they hold high rank. A certain number of 
medicine-men accompany the army in the field to give aid to the 
wounded. Should a chief be killed in battle his followers usually 
run away. In returning from war nightly carousals take place, at 
which the female prisoners are compelled to be present and the 
utmost license prevails. At these festivities war songs are sung and 
tales are told of the heroic deeds of the honoured dead. 
In every village stores of dry bananas are maintained by the 
head man for the use of the soldiers when they are called to war. 
At the same time especial contributions are levied on the villages 
through which the army passes on its march. When camping huts 
are usually constructed for the whole army, and it is wonderful to 
see the rapidity with which these grass shelters spring up. Eour 
men will erect a commodious hut in three-quarters of an hour. 
VOL. xm. 3 c 
