222 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
The ninth hour of the day approached. We had 
bathed, brushed, cleaned ourselves, and were prepared 
externally and mentally for the memorable hour when 
we should meet the Foremost Man of Equatorial Africa. 
Two of the Kabakds pages, clad in a costume serni- 
Kingwana and semi-Kiganda, came to summon us — the 
Kingwana part being the long white shirt of Zanzibar, 
folded with a belt or band about the loins, the Kiganda 
part being the Soliari doti cloth depending from the 
right shoulder to the feet. “ The Kabaka invites you 
to the burzah,” said they. Forthwith we issue from our 
courtyard, five of the boat’s crew on each side of me 
armed with Snider rifles. We reach a short broad street, 
at the end of which is a hut. Here the Kabaka is seated 
with a multitude of chiefs, Wakungu * and Watongoleh, 
ranked from the throne in two opposing kneeling or 
seated lines, the ends being closed in by drummers, 
guards, executioners, pages, &c. &c. As we approached 
the nearest group, it opened, and the drummers beat 
mighty sounds, Tori’ s drumming being conspicuous from 
its sharper beat. The Foremost Man of Equatorial Africa 
rises and advances, and all the kneeling and seated lines 
rise — generals, colonels, chief, cooks, butlers, pages, exe- 
cutioners, &c. &c. 
The Kabaka, a tall, clean-faced, large-eyed, nervous- 
looking, thin man, clad in a tarbush, black robe, with a 
white shirt belted with gold, shook my hands warmly 
and impressively, and, bowing not ungracefully, invited 
me to lie seated on an iron stool. I waited for him to 
show the example, and then I and all the others seated 
ourselves. 
He first took a deliberate survey of me, which I re- 
turned with interest, for he was as interesting to me as 
I was to him. His impression of me was that I was 
younger than Speke, not so tall, but better dressed. 
This I gathered from his criticisms as confided to his 
chiefs and favourites. 
My impression of him was that he and I would become 
* Wakungu is the plural of rnlamgu, a rank equivalent to “ general.” 
Watongoleh is the plural of mtongoleh, or “ colonel.” 
