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CHAPTER X. 
In Uganda and down the West Side of Victoria 
Nyanza. 
The little insight we obtained into the manners of 
Uganda between Soweh Island, Murchison Bay, and 
Kiwa Island, near Ukafu Bay, impressed us with the 
consciousness that we were about to become acquainted 
with an extraordinary monarch and an extraordinary 
people, as different from the barbarous pirates of Uvuma, 
and the wild, mopdieaded men of Eastern Usukuma, as 
the British in India are from their Africli fellow-subjects, 
or the white Americans of Arkansas from the semi- 
civilized Choctaws. If politeness could so govern the 
actions of the men of Kiwa Island, far removed as they 
were from contact with the Uganda court, and suave 
duplicity could so well be practised by the Mtongoleh 
of Ukafu, and such ready, ungrudging hospitality be 
shown by the chief of Buka, and the Kabakas orders 
be so promptly executed by Magassa, the messenger, 
and the chief of Kadzi, what might we not expect 
at the court, and what manner of man might not this 
“ Kabaka” be ! 
Such were our reflections as Magassa, in his superb 
canoe, led the way from behind Soweh Island, and his 
little slave drummed an accompaniment to the droning 
chant of his canoe-men. 
Compared with our lonely voyage from our camp at 
Usukumu round all the bays and inlets of the much- 
indented coasts of the Great Lake, these five superb 
canoes forming line in front of our boat, escorting us to 
the presence of the great potentate of Equatorial Africa, 
formed a scene which promised at least novelty, and a 
view of some extraordinary pomp and ceremony. 
