Show LIFE IN AFRICA i captain speke in his big new volume deb des descriptive crip of bis his explorations exploration s in africa gives the following curious details of his bis experience in thai that country I 1 was to give the king a royal salute as the drums would not beat he then came into my tent and I 1 motioned him to take my chair which after be he bat eat do down domn n upon it I 1 was very sorry for as be he stained the seat all black with the brunni runni running n I 1 color of one of the new barbati c cloths claths I 1 0 h he e h had ad got from me which to im improve prove its appearance be he bad had saturated with stinking butter and had tied it round bib his loins A fine looking man of about 30 be he wore the butt erd ol 01 a large sea shell cut in a circle and tied on bis big forehead for fora a coronet and sundry small sal salt tiana lana antelope horns stuffed bluffed with magic powder to keep off the evil eye e e ilis his attendants all fawned on him and snapped their fingers whenever he sneezed aly guns clothes and everything were then inspected spec opec ted and begged for in the most importunate manner my bullseye bulls eye lantern he coveted so much I 1 had bad to pretend exceeding argerio anger to stop bis big further importunities he then began again begging for luc lucifora lu cloers cifers which charmed him so intensely I 1 thought I 1 should never get rid oe of him ile he would have one box of them I 1 swore I 1 coul i not cot part with them ile continued to beg arid alid I 1 to resist I 1 offered a knife instead but this be would not have because the luci hicl tera teus would be eo so valuable for tor his maginil observances on went the storm till at last I 1 drove him off with a pair of my app slippers I 1 erb ero which he had stuck bia his feet into with without out in my bleave leave I 1 ithen then refused to take his hia bullock because be he bd bad annoyed me AN ali AFRICAN BEAUTY after a lone lonz ion lon and amusing conversation wl with th Ru manika in the morning morning I 1 called on one of his bis sister in law married marrie to an elder brother who was born before cagara ascended the throne she be was another of those wonders ot of obesity unable to stand excepting on all fours tours I 1 was desirous to obtain a good view of her and actually to measure her hert and induced her to give me facilities for doing bot got so I 1 b by y 0 offering ering in return to show her a bit of m my aked naked le legs and arms the ile bait took as I 1 wished d it ggs and after getting her to wriggle into the middle of the but I 1 did as I 1 promised and then took her dimensions round arm 1 ft 11 in chest 4 ft 4 in thigh 2 ft 7 in calf I 1 ft 8 in height 5 fc fr 8 AJ all of these I 1 are exact except the height and I 1 believe I 1 could have obtained this more accurately if I 1 could have had bad her laid on the floor not knowing what difficulties I 1 should have to contend with in such a piece of engineering I 1 tried to get her tier height by raising her up this after infinite exertions on the part of ua us both was accomplished when she sank down again fainting for her blood bad halt rushed into herberd her bead head meanwhile the daughter a lass of sixteen sat stark naked before us sucking at a milk pot on which tile the father kept kep her at work by holding a rod in his bis hand band for as fattening is the first duty of fashionable female life it must be duly enforced by the rod if necessary irot up a bit of flirtation I 1 with missy and in induced her to rise an and debake shake bands with me her features were lovely but her body was as round as a ball A STATE reception in the most polite manner the officer officers a in waiting awaiting begged me to be seated on my iron I 1 stool which I 1 had brought with me whilst others hurried in to announce my arrival I 1 I 1 but for a few minutes only was I 1 kept in sus sua i I 1 pense when a band of music the musicians wearing on their backs long haired goat aking skins I 1 passed me dancing as they went along like i bears in a fair and playing laying on reed instruments 1 worked over with pretty beads in various patterns fro from which depended leopard cat sins bins the time being regulated by the beating ot of long band drums the mighty I 1 kingway king wab was now noy reported to be sitting on his bis 1 throne in the state hut but of the third tier I 1 ad 1 danced hat bat in hand band with my guard of honor I 1 following formed in open ranks who in their turn were followed by the bearers carry 1 ing presents I 1 did not walk straight up to him as if to shake hands bands but tut I 1 went outside the ranks of a three sided square of squatting all habited in skins mostly cow skins some few of whom had bad in addition leopard cat skirts girt round the waist the eign sign of royal b here I 1 was desired to bait and sit in the glaring sun so I 1 donned my bat mounted my iny umbrella umbrellas a phenomenon which set them all a wondering and laughing ordered the guard to close ranks an and d sat gazing at the novel spectacle 1 I now dow longed to open conversation but knew not the language andrio and no one near me dared speak or even lift hig bis head bead from fear of being accused of eyeing the women so thu the king and myself sat bat staring at one another for full an art hour I 1 mute but he pointing and remarking with those around him on the novelty of my guard and general appearance and even requiring to see my hat bat lifted the umbrella shut and opened and the giarda face about and show off their red cloaks for such wonders had never been seen in uganda then finding the day waning he be sent maula on an embassy to askine ask me ine if I 1 had seen him and on receiving my reply yes for full one hour I 1 was rag 91 gid glad giad d to find him rise spear in hand lead his bis dog and anti walk unceremoniously away through the enclosure into the fourth tier of huts buts for this being a pure jesee lesee evee day gay no 0 busin bubin business gsa was rans transacted acted THE QUEEN ON A SPREE the queen and h her er ministers then thin plunged into 0 ambe and became uproar ous laughing WI with bp all ali their might and main small augu cups were not enough to keep ip tip the excitement of the time so a large wooden trough wag vas placed before the queen and filled with liquor if it any was spilt split the lVa lya kungu instantly fought over it d dabbing abbin t their noses on the ground or tr vr abbing it with their hands bands that not one atom of the queens favor might be lost for everything must be adored that comes aiom from royalty whether by design or accident the queen put her head bead to the trough and drank like a pig from it and wab waa followed by her ministers the band by order then struck up a tune called the g on a dozen reeds ornamented with beads leads and cow tips and five drums of various tones and sizes keeping time the dancing with zest were led by four band ro masters asters also dancing but wit their backs turned to the company to show off their long 1 shaggy goatskin goat ski skin n acketa jackets sometimes upright at other times bending and oo 00 their heels like the b h rn pipe dancers of western countries the queen and councilors councillors counci lors all became uproarious uproar ous the queen began to sing and the counci counce coun coul clars are ore to join in ia chorus 8 then all sang bang and all drank and drank and sang bang tilix till in their heated excitement they tb thy y turned the palace into a pandemonium still there was not noise enough so the band and drums were called atrain again and tomfool for uganda like the old european monarchies always keeps a jester was made to sing in the gruff hoarse unnatural vo ce which be he ever deflects to maintain his character and furnished with comte I 1 when his bis throat was dry |